Re: Building rpm for /usr/local/bin/python

[bob proulx com (Bob Proulx)]

matt indigo nu wrote:
> I've modified the centos RPM .spec file to create an alternate install of
> python as version 2.4.4 in /usr/local/bin/*. This works great, however the
> RPM ends up installing what seems is the system binary of python into
> /usr/local/bin (verified by version# and compile date). 

You could use md5sum to check the signature of all files.  Also check
the md5sum of the python program build by the %build section of the
spec file.  Then you would be able to determine which file is which
file.

> This is strange because the during the build process it seem to build this
> strange version inside of /usr/src/redhat/BUILD/Python-2.4.4/python 

What strange about the version build in the build directory?  You
don't say and I don't know enough even to guess.

> [root localhost Python-2.4.4]# pwd
> /usr/src/redhat/BUILD/Python-2.4.4

I see that you are building this as the root user.  Almost everyone
will recommend to you that you don't do that but instead build as a
non-root user.  It is safer.

> [root localhost Python-2.4.4]# ./python 
> Python 2.4.3 (#1, Mar 14 2007, 19:01:42) 
> If I *just* built this code, why is the build date March 14....

Since you have the source code there you could always look and see.

> and more importantly where did it get Python2.4.3 as a version? This
> is the same as standard system python. Where is it getting this
> from????

It comes from the source.  In this file:

  ./Include/patchlevel.h

In the %build part of your spec file you can check the version of the
python that you have just build.  Right after the line that runs
'make' check the version of what is created.

  make
  ./python -V

> Im going insane...slowly Thanks for all your help!

I don't suffer from insanity.  I enjoy every minute of it.  :-)

Bob