title: Installing python on 1and1 shared hosting
body: <p>I'm trying to install python to a 1and1.com shared linux hosting account.</p>
  
  <p>There is a nice guide at this address:
  <a href="http://www.jacksinner.com/wordpress/?p=3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.jacksinner.com/wordpress/?p=3</a></p>
  
  <p>However I get stuck at step 6 which is: "make install". The error I get is as follows:</p>
  
  <pre><code>(uiserver):u58399657:~/bin/python &gt; make install
  Creating directory /~/bin/python/bin
  /usr/bin/install: cannot create directory `/~’: Permission denied
  Creating directory /~/bin/python/lib
  /usr/bin/install: cannot create directory `/~’: Permission denied
  make: *** [altbininstall] Error 1
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I look forward to some suggestions.</p>
  
  <p><strong>UPDATE:</strong></p>
  
  <p>Here is an alternative version of the configure step to fix the above error, however this time I'm getting a different error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>(uiserver):u58399657:~ &gt; cd Python-2.6.3
  (uiserver):u58399657:~/Python-2.6.3 &gt; ./configure -prefix=~/bin/python
  configure: error: expected an absolute directory name for --prefix: ~/bin/python
  (uiserver):u58399657:~/Python-2.6.3 &gt;
  </code></pre>