--- /dev/null
+[[!meta title="How can I install Python modules in my locker?"]]
+First, note that many Python modules are already installed on
+scripts.mit.edu, and we’re generally pretty willing to install
+generally-useful software globally; email us at
+[scripts@mit.edu](mailto:scripts@mit.edu) to ask. This has the
+advantage that you won’t have to worry about keeping the packages
+up to date; in some cases, using out-of-date modules could lead to
+security vulnerabilities in your site.
+
+Sometimes, however, you may want to install a specific Python
+module from [PyPI](http://pypi.python.org/) in your locker, say
+because you want to modify it or because you need a different
+version than what’s installed globally. This is pretty straight
+forward. First, you need to create the directory to install into
+and give scripts.mit.edu permission to it. From an Athena prompt,
+do the following, where lockername is the name of your locker:
+
+ % add consult
+ % mkdir -p /mit/lockername/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/
+ % fsr sa /mit/lockername/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ \
+ daemon.scripts write
+
+Then, to install a package,
+[ssh into scripts.mit.edu as your locker](/faq/41/) and run
+
+ $ easy_install --user -Z packagename
+
+where packagename is the package you want to install. To upgrade
+something you already have installed, simply do:
+
+ $ easy_install --user -Z -U packagename
+
+These packages will be automatically available to Python scripts
+you run on scripts.mit.edu.
+
+Note that because the modules are tied to the minor version of
+Python they were built with, you will need to install the modules
+again if the system Python is upgraded. Be sure to add yourself to
+the
+[scripts-announce mailing list](http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/scripts-announce)
+so you will be notified about such transitions.
+
+
+