Installing Python 2.4 with-zlib on Debian squeeze

Yap, it’s not as easy as it is supposed to be.

1. First of all make sure you have installed zlib-dev library, which in Debian/Ubuntu is called zlib1-dev:

$ sudo aptitude install zlib1-dev

2. Download Python from http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.4.6/

$ cd /tmp
$ wget http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.4.6/Python-2.4.6.tgz

3. Decompress it:

$ tar -zxvf Python-2.4.6.tgz

4. Compile it. STOP, I did that 10 times already with and without –with-zlib=/usr/include option, nothing, only a lot of frustration. So here is the key:

$ cd /lib
$ sudo ln -s x86_64-linux-gnu/libz.so.1 libz.so

5. Now compile and install python:

$ cd /tmp/Python-2.4.6
$ ./configure --prefix=/opt/python24
$ make
$ make install

6. Test if zlib is installed:

$ /opt/python24/bin/python -c "import zlib"

7. Enjoy :o)