How to Install Visual Python in Fedora Core 8

This is a short tutorial on how to install visual python (vpython) 4.beta26 in Fedora Core 8. This should also work with other versions of linux.

1. Download vpython from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=6013&package_id=6822&release_id=576326
2. Go to a command prompt, usually with a terminal like gnome-terminal, xterm, or aterm.
3. Make sure you have the required packages: talk to your system administrator about isssuing the following command: `yum install freetype2-devel pangomm-devel gtkglextmm-devel libglademm24-devel gtk-devel pango-devel python-tools`
4. type `cd /path/to/visual-4.beta26`
5. Uncompress file: type `tar -xjf visual-*.tar.bz2`
6. Change directory: type `cd visual-4.beta26/`
7. Configure the package: type `./configure --prefix=/usr`
8. Make sure you have all the requirement. If you get an error that says 'error: blahblah x.x is required', then see step 3 above about installing dependencies.
9. Build the binaries from source: type `make`. This may take a while. I had a strange lib problem. It seems recent rpms of boost don't have the file /usr/lib/libboost_thread.so, so I had to make a symlink with the command `ln -s /usr/lib/libboost_thread-mt.so /usr/lib/libboost_thread.so`
10. Talk to your sysadmin about issuing the following command: 'make install'
11. The script to start vpython is /usr/bin/vpython. We need to edit this, so open up the file in your favorite text editor and edit it as follows: