[Zope] Installing Zope, Python 2.1 / RedHat etc....

[Chris Keyes]

Hi All

Well its time for my first post, I hope this is not in HTML :-)

I've installed various different versions of Zope under RedHat and Debian
with help from the other guys here at NIP.

I think from my experience with RedHat, the important thing is NOT to
overwrite the python152 install. If you follow the python2.1 install
instructions, do your make, and then make ALTINSTALL it does not replace the
symlink and so typing python starts python152, so all the scripts under
RedHat still work :-) See the bottom of the install text in the doc
directory.

After installing Python2.1 you need to check that python2.1 starts, try
typing python2.1 in your home directory. If it doesn't, you'll have to add a
link in one of the directories in your path (eg /usr/local/lib, off the top
of my head, but don't quote me) to make that happen. Then you can compile
Zope 2.4 using "python2.1 w_pcgi.py" and it should all go smoothly... Well
hopefully!

I was surprised how many things don't work under RedHat if you just upgrade
your python version :-) Oops!... Just shows how much Python is used :-)

Is there a newbie tutorial covering the basics of things like tar, and
installing zope... I know its not directly related to Zope but the world of
*nix anc feel a little chilly for the first few hours. It soon warms up
though :-) I guess good newbie documentation is the best way of getting
people hooked, don't want to scare them off before they've started.

I'm also working on sorting out the Instance_Home stuff in my mind, and
guess that would be useful to other folks too, especially looking at the
posts about upgrading to Zope 2.4 and so on...

Anyway, hope that adds something rather than just repeating what everyone
else is saying ;-)

Chris K