/ Python

Installing Python 2.4 with zlib on Debian

Yap, it’s not as easy as it is supposed to be.

  1. First of all make sure you have installed zlib-dev library, which in Debian/Ubuntu is called zlib1-dev:

     $ sudo aptitude install zlib1-dev

  2. Download Python from http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.4.6/

     $ cd /tmp
 $ wget http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.4.6/Python-2.4.6.tgz

  3. Decompress it:

     $ tar -zxvf Python-2.4.6.tgz

  4. Compile it. STOP, I did that 10 times already with and without –with-zlib=/usr/include option, nothing, only a lot of frustration. So here is the key:

     $ cd /lib
 $ sudo ln -s x86_64-linux-gnu/libz.so.1 libz.so

  5. Now compile and install python:

     $ cd /tmp/Python-2.4.6
 $ ./configure --prefix=/opt/python24
 $ make
 $ make install

  6. Test if zlib is installed:

     $ /opt/python24/bin/python -c "import zlib"

  7. Enjoy!