How to install a python library manually

Question

I built quickfix engine (http://www.quickfixengine.org/) for one of my tasks and also built in python support for it.

Unfortunately this is a multi user env and I do

Answer 1

You need to install it in a directory in your home folder, and somehow manipulate the PYTHONPATH so that directory is included.

The best and easiest is to use virtualenv. But that requires installation, causing a catch 22. :) But check if virtualenv is installed. If it is installed you can do this:

$ cd /tmp
$ virtualenv foo
$ cd foo
$ ./bin/python

Then you can just run the installation as usual, with /tmp/foo/python setup.py install. (Obviously you need to make the virtual environment in your a folder in your home directory, not in /tmp/foo. ;) )

If there is no virtualenv, you can install your own local Python. But that may not be allowed either. Then you can install the package in a local directory for packages:

$ wget http://pypi.python.org/packages/source/s/six/six-1.0b1.tar.gz#md5=cbfcc64af1f27162a6a6b5510e262c9d
$ tar xvf six-1.0b1.tar.gz 
$ cd six-1.0b1/
$ pythonX.X setup.py   install --install-dir=/tmp/frotz

Now you need to add /tmp/frotz/pythonX.X/site-packages to your PYTHONPATH, and you should be up and running!