error: invalid Python installation: unable to open /usr/lib/python2.4/config/Makefile (No such file or directory)

I received the error below when attempting to use easy_install to add the html5lib package on a server for a client. I assumed all of the necessary python packages were installed since easy_install was already available via python-setuptools-devel. After a quick investigation I noticed that the python-devel package was not installed. This can easily be installed on CentOS Linux using yum with the directions below.

Error: error: invalid Python installation: unable to open /usr/lib/python2.4/config/Makefile (No such file or directory)

Yum Command To Resolve Error:

yum install python-devel

Example Of Successful python-devel On CentOS 5.3 Linux Server:

[root@server ~]# yum install python-devel
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
* rpmforge: ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de
* atomic: www.atomicorp.com
* base: mira.sunsite.utk.edu
* updates: dist1.800hosting.com
* addons: www.cyberuse.com
* extras: pubmirrors.reflected.net
Setting up Install Process
Parsing package install arguments
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package python-devel.i386 0:2.4.3-27.el5 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

====================================================================================================================================
Package                               Arch                        Version                         Repository                  Size
====================================================================================================================================
Installing:
python-devel                        i386                        2.4.3-27.el5                       base                        1.0 M

Transaction Summary
====================================================================================================================================
Install      1 Package(s)
Update       0 Package(s)
Remove       0 Package(s)

Total download size: 1.0 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
python-devel-2.4.3-27.el5.i386.rpm                                                                              | 1.0 MB     00:00
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Finished Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
Installing     : python-devel                                    [1/1]

Installed: python-devel.i386 0:2.4.3-27.el5
Complete!
[root@server ~]#

That is all you need to do so you can now use easy_install to add python packages to the server.

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