Setting up buildout sandboxes using virtualenv

The following chronicles how to setup buildout-based sandboxes environments using virtualenv.  It uses paster to do some skeleton creation.  A description of the paster templates is available.

1. Install virtualenv:

   • emerge -avt virtualenv

2. Create a directory to host a python2.4 based sandbox, and then run the following:

   • virtualenv -v -p python2.4 --no-site-packages <sandboxdir>

3. Install necessary modules/packages into the sandbox site-packages:

   • ./python/bin/easy_install -U ZopeSkel lxml i18ndude http://dist.plone.org/thirdparty/PIL-1.1.6.tar.gz
     

   • If you need additional packages (things that would normally find themselves in 'site-packages'), just use easy_install to install them:

     • ./python/bin/easy_install -U <name>

4. Create a plone3 buildout skeleton:

   • mkdir <instancedir>
     ./python/bin/paster create -t plone3_buildout <instancedir>

5. Bootstrap the buildout:

   • cd <instancedir>
     ../python/bin/python bootstrap.py
     

6. Kick off the full buildout:

   • ./bin/buildout

7. Do stuff.