Install python 32 bit on 64 bit linux

Question

I basically have two questions:

How do you install 32bit python alongside 64bit python on linux?
How do I fix my broken system from the failed attempt below?

I just tried to install 32bit python alongside my 64bit python on linux mint 16. It's not as straight forward as I hoped for (something like sudo apt-get install python32 would be nice) but after a bit of googling I downloaded python 2.7.6 and did the following:

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs gcc-multilib checkinstall
CC="gcc -m32" LDFLAGS="-L/lib32 -L/usr/lib32 -Lpwd/lib32 -Wl,-rpath,/lib32 -Wl,-rpath,/usr/lib32" ./configure --prefix=/opt/pym32
make
sudo checkinstall

The should supposedly make me able to run 32bit og 64bit (default) like this:

python -c 'import sys; print sys.maxint'
/opt/pym32/bin/python -c 'import sys; print sys.maxint'

... but /opt/pym32/ wasn't even created. Worse, my system now reports 29 broken dependencies, indicating that the new python replaced the old one or something like that. To fix it, aptitude suggests that I remove a whole bunch of packages that I need and install a whole bunch of packages that I don't need.

I used checkinstall rather than make install to be able to reverse/uninstall if something went wrong, but uninstalling/reinstalling python won't work because of the broken dependencies. Is there a way to get out of this mess?

Maybe you should post this question in Unix & Linux rather than Stack Overflow? Or try to get help in #linuxmint-help on irc.spotchat.org. :-) — Peque, Aug 04 '14 at 09:43
So in what manner did you acquire the source code of the 32bit python? — hbogert, Aug 04 '14 at 11:19
@hbogert, I downloaded the source code from python.org, from the front page, I believe. — Jonas Lindeløv, Aug 06 '14 at 17:48
@Peque, I wasn't aware of the Unix & Linux partition of stackexchange. Thanks! — Jonas Lindeløv, Aug 06 '14 at 17:48
As an update, I backed up my files and re-installed linux. Haven't really been needing the 32 bit python since so I probably won't try again. — Jonas Lindeløv, Aug 06 '14 at 17:49

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:25

4

I think you should use a virtual environment and install a different python version in it. Check this answer for better understanding --> Is it possible to install another version of Python to Virtualenv?

edited May 23 '17 at 12:25

Community

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answered Aug 06 '14 at 19:32

pyjavo

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score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 31 '14 at 08:23

-1

You might be better off building your own RPM. You could even automate it by pulling the latest version (or the one you want). Then you could set your own dependancies. Install the 64 bit to keep your dependancies sane.

answered Jul 31 '14 at 08:23

Paul Frederiksen

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Thanks, your instructions are too general for me and - I suspect - other visitors wanting to install 32 bit python on 64 bit linux. Could you lay out in some detail how you would build an RPM from source and set appropriate dependencies without replacing the default python? E.g. in /opt/ as I tried to do here. I'm not sure what you mean by "Install the 64 bit to keep your dependencies sane." when I want to install 32 bit python. – Jonas Lindeløv Aug 06 '14 at 17:54

Install python 32 bit on 64 bit linux

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