Question

I'm starting this course and in the getting started pdf it says that I need to dl Python 2.5.4 but when I go to the site it only offers 2.5.6 as the closest version to 2.5.4 in its list of releases. If I search the site for 2.5.4 it is available but with this statement: "Please download Python 2.5.6 instead, unless you need to use the Windows and OS X binaries provided here." So, should I dl 2.5.4 or 2.5.6?

Answer 1

Both should work. I'm using Python 3.2(although it shows shows version 2.7 in my terminal, I'm using Linux) right now and it works fine for me. You may need to determine what was updated/changed in the latest version if you do get it. But I assume it's minimal because the main version is still the same (2.5.x)...

Answer 2

ok, thanks for your reply. I'm gonna go with 2.5.6. ...ok, maybe I'm not ready for this course :( The download instructions contain these two sentences: "Unpack the archive with tar -zxvf Python-2.5.6.tgz (or bzcat Python-2.5.6.tar.bz2 | tar -xf -). Change to the Python-2.5.6 directory and run the "./configure", "make", "make install" commands to compile and install Python." If I have (virtually) no idea how to do this I assume that means I should be taking some kind of prerequisite?

Answer 3

if it shows 2.7 then it's probably 2.7

Answer 4

dgo, what is your OS (windows, linux, macos, ...)?

Answer 5

from instructions i would say linux, but linux might have installed it already, try to open terminal and type python

Answer 6

hi guys, I have windows 7. I'm a complete noob. I've been reading "Computer Science, an Overview 11th edition" but I'm still very ignorant. For example, Tomas.A's instructions "try to open terminal..." means almost nothing to me lol. And btw, I haven't even clicked the dl link yet. The "Unpack the archive with blah blah blah..." instructions stopped me dead in my tracks. And even if I were to click it I wouldn't know if I should choose the gzip-compressed or the bzip2! (I would have guessed and picked gzip fwiw)

Answer 7

go here
http://www.python.org/download/#pubkeys

if you have a 32 bit operating system choose the first option:
Python Windows Installer

if you have a 64 bit operating system choose the second option:
Python Windows X86-64 Installer

either will download a file.
double click on the downloaded file and it should install itself

Answer 8

hmm, maybe not the 64 bit version unless you have an amd processor. i have 64 bit windows 7 and am using the 32 bit python package (first option) and it works

Answer 9

thank you! installing now...should I put it where it default points the install (C:\) or should I put it where all my other programs get installed (C:\Program Files (x86)\)? fwiw i'm going to do the first option, I don't think I have AMD

Answer 10

"first option" meaning first dl link, the one for 32-bit

Answer 11

it doesn't matter

For example, Tomas.A's instructions "try to open terminal..." means almost nothing to me lol
thats because terminal is in linux and you use windows so its ok lol

Answer 12

@ tomas lol that makes me feel better :) gonna finish the install now, weeeeeeeeeee thanks guys