Installing Python 1.4, AADR9 version 1

The UNIXy Way
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The easiest way to install Python is to act like a UNIX filesystem.

If you haven't done it already, do this:

1	mkdir -p /boot/usr/local

2	Edit /boot/system/UserBootscript so that it includes this command:

	ln -s /boot/usr /usr

	This will automagically recreate the /usr directory for you when
	you boot.

3	Type the command:

	ln -s /boot/usr /usr

	This creates the /usr directory right now.

3	mv bin include lib man /usr/local

	This moves all of the Python goodies into /usr/local.

4	Add /usr/bin to your PATH; if you haven't set up your shell to load
	its PATH from some other place, edit /boot/.profile and add this near
	the end (if there's anything else there):

	export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH

	This adds /usr/local/bin to your existing PATH, so the Terminal can
	find all of your command-line utilities.

You're done!

The Other Way
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another way to install Python is to stick it wherever the heck you want.

1	Put "bin/python" and "bin/python1.4" together in one of the directories
	in your PATH (such as /boot/bin).

2	Put lib/python1.4 somewhere, and remember where it is; we'll call this
	directory Python-Libs for the rest of this doc.

3	Now edit your /boot/.profile (or whatever other .profile your Terminal
	runs for you; if you don't know what I'm talking about, it's
    /boot/.profile :-) and add this near the bottom:

	export PYTHONPATH=Python-Libs

	(Where Python-Libs is the full path of the Python lib directory, such as
	/boot/Goodies/lib/python1.4 or whatever.)

	This will let Python know where to find its modules when you try to use
	it.

Note
~~~~

It'll probably work a bit better if you install it using The UNIXy Way; UNIX
programs are notorious for having lots of hard-coded paths in them.  Even
when they use an environment variable like Python does (the PYTHONPATH),
they tend to make some assumptions about the filesystem layout...

Be sure you read the README.BeOS file, it mentions all the bugs I know
about!

- Chris Herborth (chrish@qnx.com)
  June 1, 1997
