title: How to use Python's "easy_install" on Windows ... it's not so easy
body: <p>After installing Python 2.7 on Windows XP, then manually setting the <code>%PATH%</code> to <code>python.exe</code> (why won't the python installer do this?), then installing <code>setuptools 0.6c11</code> (why doesn't the python installer do this?), then manually setting the <code>%PATH%</code> to <code>easy_install.exe</code> (why doesn't the installer do this?), I finally tried to install a python package with <code>easy_install</code>, but <code>easy_install</code> failed when it couldn't install the pywin32 package, which is a dependency. <strong>How can I make easy_install work properly on Windows XP?</strong> The failure follows:</p>
  
  <pre>C:\>easy_install winpexpect
  Searching for winpexpect
  Best match: winpexpect 1.4
  Processing winpexpect-1.4-py2.7.egg
  winpexpect 1.4 is already the active version in easy-install.pth
  
  Using c:\python27\lib\site-packages\winpexpect-1.4-py2.7.egg
  Processing dependencies for winpexpect
  Searching for pywin32>=214
  Reading http://pypi.python.org/simple/pywin32/
  Reading http://sf.net/projects/pywin32
  Reading http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=78018
  No local packages or download links found for pywin32>=214
  Best match: None
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "C:\python27\scripts\easy_install-script.py", line 8, in 
      load_entry_point('setuptools==0.6c11', 'console_scripts', 'easy_install')()
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 1712, in main
      with_ei_usage(lambda:
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 1700, in with_ei_usage
      return f()
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 1716, in 
      distclass=DistributionWithoutHelpCommands, **kw
    File "C:\python27\lib\distutils\core.py", line 152, in setup
      dist.run_commands()
    File "C:\python27\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 953, in run_commands
      self.run_command(cmd)
    File "C:\python27\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 972, in run_command
      cmd_obj.run()
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 211, in run
      self.easy_install(spec, not self.no_deps)
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 446, in easy_install
      return self.install_item(spec, dist.location, tmpdir, deps)
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 481, in install_item
      self.process_distribution(spec, dists[0], deps, "Using")
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 519, in process_distribution
      [requirement], self.local_index, self.easy_install
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\pkg_resources.py", line 563, in resolve
      dist = best[req.key] = env.best_match(req, self, installer)
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\pkg_resources.py", line 799, in best_match
      return self.obtain(req, installer) # try and download/install
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\pkg_resources.py", line 811, in obtain
      return installer(requirement)
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 434, in easy_install
      self.local_index
    File "C:\python27\lib\site-packages\setuptools\package_index.py", line 475, in fetch_distribution
      return dist.clone(location=self.download(dist.location, tmpdir))
  AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'clone'
  </pre>