Separate Windows versions of Python
I use Windows Vista Home Premium. I have Python 2.6 currently installed. I'm not a techy. I want to use virtualenv. When I try to install the latest version of virtualenv for Windows, I get the message that Python 2.5 is not found. How do I install Python 2.5 (or anything else except 2.6) so that I use the correct version of Python at the correct time. For example, do I need to edit the path variable each time that I want to change versions from 2.5 to 2.6? -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Separate Windows versions of Python
OldGrantonian wrote: I use Windows Vista Home Premium. I have Python 2.6 currently installed. I'm not a techy. I want to use virtualenv. When I try to install the latest version of virtualenv for Windows, I get the message that Python 2.5 is not found. How do I install Python 2.5 (or anything else except 2.6) so that I use the correct version of Python at the correct time. For example, do I need to edit the path variable each time that I want to change versions from 2.5 to 2.6? On windows, major versions (..., 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, , 3.0, 3.1, ...) can coexist quite successfully. Find and run an installer for the latest version of 2.5 (2.5.4, I believe) on the Python download page. That will make 2.5 your default Python. To switch the easiest way (for you) is uninstall the version of python you want to be the default, then install it again (making it the last one installed). This suggests keeping installer binaries for all version you are using. Note that the this uninstall-reinstall should not affect you loaded Python packages that you have installed separately. To simply run a python program with a different python (but not change the default), open a command window (run program / cmd), sometimes called a terminal window and use command: C:\ C:\Python24\python program.py # command line version or C:\ C:\Python24\pythonw program.pyw # gui verson You can also change shortcuts to refer to specific Python versions. Of course, the different Python versions should also be available on your start menu. However, Starting with Python 2.6, if you want user-specific installation, you can also create and put things in (for example), C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\ Python\Python26\site-packages where you replace USER with the user name in question. If you are not planning to do a lot of switching, that might be enough for you. The base directory is also called %APPDATA% on a command line or via os.path.expandvars. Once you have created this site-packages directory, Python 2.6 and later will use it to find .pth, .py, .pyw, and .pyd files (as well as .pyc and .pyo files). You may find changing your personal site-packages directory (and/or a .pth therein that you manipulate) will address the issues that you are planning to solve with virtualenv. Sorry for the long-winded answer. --Scott David Daniels scott.dani...@acm.org in addition to the common site-packages directory on -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Separate Windows versions of Python
Many thanks for the very detailed answer :) I will go ahead right now and implement all your suggestions. On May 6, 4:35 pm, Scott David Daniels scott.dani...@acm.org wrote: OldGrantonian wrote: I use Windows Vista Home Premium. I have Python 2.6 currently installed. I'm not a techy. I want to use virtualenv. When I try to install the latest version of virtualenv for Windows, I get the message that Python 2.5 is not found. How do I install Python 2.5 (or anything else except 2.6) so that I use the correct version of Python at the correct time. For example, do I need to edit the path variable each time that I want to change versions from 2.5 to 2.6? On windows, major versions (..., 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, , 3.0, 3.1, ...) can coexist quite successfully. Find and run an installer for the latest version of 2.5 (2.5.4, I believe) on the Python download page. That will make 2.5 your default Python. To switch the easiest way (for you) is uninstall the version of python you want to be the default, then install it again (making it the last one installed). This suggests keeping installer binaries for all version you are using. Note that the this uninstall-reinstall should not affect you loaded Python packages that you have installed separately. To simply run a python program with a different python (but not change the default), open a command window (run program / cmd), sometimes called a terminal window and use command: C:\ C:\Python24\python program.py # command line version or C:\ C:\Python24\pythonw program.pyw # gui verson You can also change shortcuts to refer to specific Python versions. Of course, the different Python versions should also be available on your start menu. However, Starting with Python 2.6, if you want user-specific installation, you can also create and put things in (for example), C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\ Python\Python26\site-packages where you replace USER with the user name in question. If you are not planning to do a lot of switching, that might be enough for you. The base directory is also called %APPDATA% on a command line or via os.path.expandvars. Once you have created this site-packages directory, Python 2.6 and later will use it to find .pth, .py, .pyw, and .pyd files (as well as .pyc and .pyo files). You may find changing your personal site-packages directory (and/or a .pth therein that you manipulate) will address the issues that you are planning to solve with virtualenv. Sorry for the long-winded answer. --Scott David Daniels scott.dani...@acm.org in addition to the common site-packages directory on -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Separate Windows versions of Python
Scott David Daniels wrote: On windows, major versions (..., 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, , 3.0, 3.1, ...) can coexist quite successfully. Find and run an installer for the latest version of 2.5 (2.5.4, I believe) on the Python download page. That will make 2.5 your default Python. believe the installer gives one the choice as to whether or not to make the new installation the default -- which is to say, the one registered with .py, etc, extensions. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
