title: Decide which python version to use for pip and easy_install
body: <p>I have two python versions on my server namely 2.4 and 2.7.  It is running RHEL 5.8.</p>
  
  <p>I already have pip and easy_install installed on my server.</p>
  
  <p>When I try to install ipython using easy_install or pip, it gives me an error which probably does not support in python 2.4.</p>
  
  <p>I want to use python 2.7 for both pip and easy_install since I would want to use the latest version of the both.</p>
  
  <p>What should I do to have pip and easy_install use python 2.7.  Python 2.4 is installed by default by the system and I do want to keep it.</p>
  
  <p>Python 2.7 is installed at another location.</p>
  
  <p>Below is the traceback both for easy_install and pip.  Both end up in the same error.  Any kind of help is appreciated.</p>
  
  <p>PIP</p>
  
  <pre><code>ronak@ronak fun $ sudo pip install ipython
  Downloading/unpacking ipython
    Downloading ipython-0.13.zip (6.4Mb): 6.4Mb downloaded
    Running setup.py egg_info for package ipython
      Traceback (most recent call last):
        File "&lt;string&gt;", line 14, in ?
        File "/usr/local/home/ronak/fun/build/ipython/setup.py", line 23
          from __future__ import print_function
      SyntaxError: future feature print_function is not defined
      Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
      Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "&lt;string&gt;", line 14, in ?
    File "/usr/local/home/ronak/fun/build/ipython/setup.py", line 23
      from __future__ import print_function
  SyntaxError: future feature print_function is not defined
  ----------------------------------------
  Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1
  Storing complete log in /home/ronak/.pip/pip.log
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>EASY_INSTALL:</p>
  
  <pre><code>ronak@ronak $ sudo easy_install ipython
  Searching for ipython
  Reading http://pypi.python.org/simple/ipython/
  Reading http://ipython.scipy.org
  Reading http://ipython.scipy.org/dist
  Reading http://ipython.scipy.org/dist/0.8.4
  Reading http://ipython.scipy.org/dist/0.9.1
  Reading http://ipython.org
  Reading http://archive.ipython.org/release/0.12.1
  Reading https://github.com/ipython/ipython/downloads
  Reading http://ipython.scipy.org/dist/old/0.9
  Reading http://ipython.scipy.org/dist/0.10
  Reading http://archive.ipython.org/release/0.11/
  Reading http://archive.ipython.org/release/0.12
  Best match: ipython 0.13
  Downloading https://github.com/downloads/ipython/ipython/ipython-0.13.zip
  Processing ipython-0.13.zip
  Running ipython-0.13/setup.py -q bdist_egg --dist-dir /tmp/easy_install-vgPLN2/ipython-0.13/egg-dist-tmp-GHUgsq
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/usr/bin/easy_install", line 7, in ?
      sys.exit(
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 1712, in main
      with_ei_usage(lambda:
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 1700, in with_ei_usage
      return f()
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 1716, in &lt;lambda&gt;
      distclass=DistributionWithoutHelpCommands, **kw
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/distutils/core.py", line 149, in setup
      dist.run_commands()
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/distutils/dist.py", line 946, in run_commands
      self.run_command(cmd)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/distutils/dist.py", line 966, in run_command
      cmd_obj.run()
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 211, in run
      self.easy_install(spec, not self.no_deps)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 446, in easy_install
      return self.install_item(spec, dist.location, tmpdir, deps)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 476, in install_item
      dists = self.install_eggs(spec, download, tmpdir)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 655, in install_eggs
      return self.build_and_install(setup_script, setup_base)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 930, in build_and_install
      self.run_setup(setup_script, setup_base, args)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/command/easy_install.py", line 919, in run_setup
      run_setup(setup_script, args)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/sandbox.py", line 61, in run_setup
      DirectorySandbox(setup_dir).run(
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/sandbox.py", line 105, in run
      return func()
    File "/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg/setuptools/sandbox.py", line 64, in &lt;lambda&gt;
      {'__file__':setup_script, '__name__':'__main__'}
    File "setup.py", line 23
      from __future__ import print_function
  SyntaxError: future feature print_function is not defined
  </code></pre>