Build alternate pythons for Ubuntu Trusty

Will create a package that installs a specified Python version—2.7.11 by default—into /opt/python-VERSION. You can then manipulate your PATH, or use virtualenv --python=/opt/python-VERSION/bin/python or set ansible_python_interpreter as needed.

Rationale

Canonical has not patched CVE-2014-9365 since verifying TLS certificates "most certainly will break certain setups". While pyenv is nice, building from source is not suitable for hundreds of production systems. And I don't trust people who write Dockerfiles to verify anything.

Usage

Import the gpg key for the Ubuntu Vagrant cloud images, then

make build [PYTHON_VERSION=x.y.z]

Will download the cloud image checksums, verify them, start a vagrant box with the verified image, and finally download, verify, and build python in that box. The resultant package will be placed in the synced folder python/build.

You can upload the resultant package to packagecloud if you already have that set up:

make upload PACKAGECLOUD_REPO=myusername/myrepo [PYTHON_VERSION=2.7.x]