# Installing Quixote

# Best-case scenario

If you are using Python 2.2 or later, and have never installed Quixote with your current version of Python, you're in luck. Just run

> python setup.py install

and you're done. Proceed to the demo documentation to learn how to get Quixote working.

If you're using an older Python, or if you're upgrading from an older Quixote version, read on.

# Upgrading from an older Quixote version

We strongly recommend that you remove any old Quixote version before installing a new one. First, find out where your old Quixote installation is:

> python -c "import os, quixote; print os.path.dirname(quixote.__file__)"

and then remove away the reported directory. (If the import fails, then you don't have an existing Quixote installation.)

Then proceed as above:

> python setup.py install

# Using Quixote with Python 2.0 or 2.1

If you are using Python 2.0 or 2.1 then you need to install the `compiler` package from the Python source distribution. The `compiler` package is for parsing Python source code and generating Python bytecode, and the PTL compiler is built on top of it. With Python 2.0 and 2.1, this package was included in Python's source distribution, but not installed as part of the standard library.

Assuming your Python source distribution is in `/tmp/Python-2.1.2`:

    cd /tmp/Python-2.1.2/Tools/compiler
    python setup.py install

(Obviously, you'll have to adjust this to reflect your Python version and where you kept the source distribution after installing Python.)