Entry

Which linux distros have Python by default?

Is there a handy list somewhere of which Linux distributions can be expected to have Tkinter installed?

Nov 30th, 2004 10:30
Chris Burkhardt, Joe Bloggs, Peter Funk, unknown unknown,

Mandrake 7.0 and 7.1 has it installed, and 7.1 has PIL included too. A
very good distro.
RedHat 6.1 and 6.2 install Python, at least in the way we install it.
Slackware-7.0 has Python package in D series.
S.u.S.E. comes with packages for Python, Tkinter and other handy 
Python 
modules. Well, the person who installs it has to choose it in the 
install application called YaST from series d (Development).
SuSE Linux (came) comes with following versions of Python:
  SuSE Linux 6.1      :  Python 1.5.1
  SuSE Linux 6.3 - 7.0:  Python 1.5.2
  SuSE Linux 7.1 - 7.2:  Python 2.0
  SuSE Linux 7.3      :  Python 2.1.1
  SuSE Linux 8.0      :  Python 2.2
[Yes, but you choose Python explicitly only for simpler profiles.
Python gets installed automatically in more sophisticated profiles.
If you tune a simple profile yourself (which is what I usually do), you
merely confirm once the installation of Python, when a dependency of 
any
package you add to the profile.  This is more and more likely, as 
Python
gets more often needed in packages.  In my last SuSE installation, a 
few
days ago, I did not have to explictly select neither Python nor 
`pygtk'.]
The new Debian potato has also packages for Python and several modules.
-----------
It's best to choose not to put on Python at install time, and then just
retrieve the latest version from the Internet. Uncomment the lines in 
the Modules/Setup file before you build it pertaining to Tkinter, then 
you're assured of having the latest version.
Of course, you'd need to make sure that you have TCL/TK installed... 
But
then, you should do that yourself, too.
This way makes it easier to keep track of when you want to upgrade. By 
doing it yourself, you know exactly where the files went. When you 
upgrade after an auto install, you don't know if the distribution's 
install put the files in weird places, so that you'll have conflicting 
crap all over your drive. For instance, I installed Mandrake 6.0 once, 
and it put a ton of KDE junk in /usr/bin. What a stupid place, and 
what 
a clutter. With Python, if you follow the configuration file defaults 
before you make, it'll always be nice and cozy in 
/usr/local/lib/Pythonxx. Wanna upgrade? You can just move the old 
directory out of the way, and then move your homemade modules 
directory 
back once you've put a new version in.