Compile Python 2.7.3 from source on a system with Python 2.7 already

Question

I wish to compile Python 2.7.3 from source. The OS is OpenSUSE 11.4 x86_64, which already provides Python 2.7. I'd like to use 2.7.3 for the latest security patches, but it's a shared system so I can't tinker with the system Python interpreter.

I compile using ./configure --prefix=/opt/python --enable-shared. No configure errors, so I make. Again no errors. I do a make install (I don't think I need make altinstall, since this installation prefix in /opt/python isn't in use yet).

When I try to run the new binary /opt/python/bin/python, Python announces its version as 2.7, not 2.7.3. The only way I've found to correct this is to move the system's /usr/lib64/libpython2.7.so.1.0, and symlink it to /opt/python/lib/python/libpython2.7.so.1.0. This works and Python announces it is 2.7.3, but this breaks the system Python.

Is there anyway I can get the two to coexist, e.g. by getting the /opt/python to use its own libpython? Other than supplying LD_LIBRARY_PATH at runtime. Is there a compile time solution? Thanks.

Do you require --enable-shared? I've built a custom Python zillion times (without --enable-shared) on various distributions and the only thing required to use this Python then is to modify PATH. — Dr. Jan-Philip Gehrcke
– Dr. Jan-Philip Gehrcke, Commented Sep 23, 2012 at 14:50
Note that if you build Python without --enable-shared, you get a huge executable that contains the entire shared library. The shared library is needed for embedding, which is why Linux distributions build with --enable-shared. — user4815162342
– user4815162342, Commented Sep 23, 2012 at 15:30

user4815162342 · Accepted Answer · 2012-09-23 19:56:28Z

25

To avoid having to specify the runtime library path using LD_LIBRARY_PATH each time Python is started, you can specify it at build time using the -rpath linker option:

./configure --enable-shared --prefix=/opt/python \
            LDFLAGS=-Wl,-rpath=/opt/python/lib

edited Sep 23, 2012 at 19:56

answered Sep 23, 2012 at 14:44

user4815162342

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1 Comment

foslock Over a year ago

This works great, but in case you run into issues with existing LDFLAGS, you can alternatively set the LD_RUN_PATH environment variable to the absolute library directory path at compile time (see blog.dscpl.com.au/2015/06/…)

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