[ESS] Installing ESS on CentOS?

[spencerg]

Hi, Mike, et al.:


       How can I make a parallel install of Python 2.7?


       I've seen that suggestion before, but I don't know how to do 
that.  Moreover, if I accidentally replace 2.4.3, it could create more 
problems.


       I'm not sure I need Python 2.7.  I need to download files from an 
FTP site and store them in a MySQL database.  A script that downloads 
files from an FTP site works using Python 2.6.5 under Vista_x64 but not 
under Python 2.4.3 under CentOS.  However, I was not able to access 
MySQL with Python under Vista.


       Thanks for the detailed comparison of CentOS, Fedora, RHEL, etc.


       Thanks,
       Spencer


On 10/27/2010 10:15 AM, Michael Hannon wrote:
>> In this case, the system admin duties are split between a friend, who is
>> unavailable until this weekend, and me, who not sufficiently unixed to feel
>> comfortable doing this.  He suggested CentOS, because I didn't want to mess
>> with Linux problems.  He prefers Fedora, which we may migrate to after he
>> returns.  (I also need Python 2.7.  CentOS has so many things that use
>> Python 2.4.3 that the probability is very high that something will break if
>> I upgrade to 2.7.)
>>
>>
>>        Thanks,
>>        Spencer
> Greetings.  I have a few miscellaneous comments about this.
>
> First, Redhat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and its source-code equivalents, CentOS
> and Scientific Linux, are intended to have a consistent set of software and be
> stable and predictable over the long term (typically several years).  These
> distributions are ideal, IMHO, for servers and also for users that are
> perfectly happy as long as they can still compile their Fortran 77 programs
> (and there are many such users).
>
> Second, Fedora is a sort of testbed (unofficial) for RHEL.  Fedora tends to
> have packages that are pretty current.  Fedora 13 (the current version) has
> Emacs 23.2.1, for instance.  But a given version of Fedora is supported for
> only about a year, so it has to be updated at least once a year.  (This has
> become less of an issue now that there is a way -- "preupgrade" -- that
> updates the system "in place".)
>
> Third, there is a project:
>
>      http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL
>
> that provides some more-current software for RHEL and friends.
>
> Fourth, you do NOT want to "upgrade" Python on any RHEL, Fedora, etc.,
> distribution, if by upgrade you mean to replace the existing version of
> Python.  RHEL, etc., use Python extensively in system-related activities, and
> changing the version of Python mid-stream would wreak havoc.  OTOH, it's
> relatively easy to install parallel versions of Python on a RHEL, etc.,
> system.  In fact, Fedora 13 itself has an option to install Python 3 in
> parallel with its standard Python 2.6.
>
> Fifth, if you need Python 2.7, I suggest that you wait six more days until
> Fedora 14 is released.  It will use 2.7 as the default.
>
> -- Mike
>
-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Operating Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567