title: How to install h5py (+numpy+libhdf5+...) as non-root on a Debian Linux system
body: <p>I need to install the h5py Python module, and all its absent dependencies, on a Debian Linux system.  This task is complicated by the following:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>I don't have any superuser privileges on this system (no sudo, no root password, etc.);</li>
  <li>the rest of the code I am using requires version 2.7 of Python, which is not the default version installed in this system (although Python 2.7 is available under /opt/python-2.7.1).</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>The ideal solution would be one that would enable me to use the dependency info in the python-h5py Debian package (wheezy release) to orchestrate the installation of all the missing prerequisites for h5py.  Is there a way to do this?  If so how can I specify the version of Python under /opt/python-2.7.1 as the one to use?</p>
  
  <p>Any suggestions on how best to do this would be appreciated!</p>