Creating and Using a Virtual Python Environment

Some terminology if you get lost:

ez_setup.py

A Python module which installs the setuptools package and the ez_install executable.

ez_install

An executable in your Python's bin

There are three places to start:

• If you don't yet have a Python compiled separately from your system Python,
• If you have a Python instance separate from your system Python, but it doesn't yet have the setuptools package installed, or
• If you already have a separated compiled Python with the setuptools package installed.

If you don't yet have a Python compiled separately from your system Python

• XXX
• Proceed to:

If you have a Python instance separate from your system Python, but it doesn't yet have the setuptools module installed

• Get the latest version of ez_setup.py (Right click to save as python file)
• Run ez_setup.py with your separately compiled Python: /usr/local/python2.6/bin/python ez_setup.py
• Your separately compiled Python's bin directory will now contain a new executable called ez_install
• Proceed to:

If you already have a separated compiled Python with the setuptools module installed

• Install virtualenv with ez_install: /usr/local/python2.6/bin/ez_install virtualenv
• Your separately compiled Python's bin directory will now contain a new executable called virtualenv