Upgrading Python

Looking at the Torrentflux requisites there is one that a full upgraded Cobalt OS 6 doesn't have: Python release 2.2 or greater. The OS of a Cobalt RaQ 4 only has Python 1.5.3. I don't know why but I downloaded Python 2.2.3 sources (maybe I can use a newer release, I'll try later) from the Python RPM page. I downloaded the Redhat special version.

This time not tar zxvf, the command is rpm -i python-2.2.3-26.src.rpm, and then the sources must be located in the /usr/src/redhat/sources/Python-2.2.3 folder. You know... change to that folder and be root: cd /usr/src/redhat/sources/Python-2.2.3, then type su and intro the root/admin password.

After this you can do the usual compilation/installation from sources:

1 ./configure

2 ./make

3 ./make install

Now the executable is /usr/local/bin/python. In the case of the Cobalt OS we need this file in /usr/bin: cd /usr/local/bin, cp python2.2 /usr/bin/python2.2, cd /usr/bin, cp python2.2 python. The last command overwrites the old executable (it remains as python1.5).

The last thing to do is reboot the server and ...... voilà.