Nope, this doesn't solve the problem. I do see this in the output of the install: Wrote /usr/share/emacs22/site-lisp/pymacs/pymacs.elc emacs22 includes it's own python-mode, skipping installation Full output of the install is here: manchicken@thepea:~$ sudo apt-get install python-mode [sudo] password for manchicken: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following extra packages will be installed: pymacs The following NEW packages will be installed: pymacs python-mode 0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 0B/334kB of archives. After unpacking 852kB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y Selecting previously deselected package pymacs. (Reading database ... 253571 files and directories currently installed.) Unpacking pymacs (from .../archives/pymacs_0.22-6_all.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package python-mode. Unpacking python-mode (from .../python-mode_1%3a1.0-3.1ubuntu1_all.deb) ... Setting up pymacs (0.22-6) ... emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs22 emacsen-common: byte-compiling for emacs22 Loading /etc/emacs22/site-start.d/00debian-vars.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50autoconf.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50cmake.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50dictionaries-common.el (source)... Loading debian-ispell... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-default.el (source)... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-dicts.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50emacs-goodies-el.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50festival.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50php-elisp.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50psvn.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50pymacs.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50python-mode.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50ruby1.8-elisp.el (source)... Wrote /etc/emacs22/site-start.d/00debian-vars.elc Wrote /usr/share/emacs22/site-lisp/debian-startup.elc install/pymacs: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs22 Loading 00debian-vars... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50autoconf.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50cmake.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50dictionaries-common.el (source)... Loading debian-ispell... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-default.el (source)... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-dicts.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50emacs-goodies-el.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50festival.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50php-elisp.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50psvn.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50pymacs.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50python-mode.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50ruby1.8-elisp.el (source)... Wrote /usr/share/emacs22/site-lisp/pymacs/pymacs.elc Setting up python-mode (1:1.0-3.1ubuntu1) ... emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs emacsen-common: Handling install of emacsen flavor emacs22 emacsen-common: byte-compiling for emacs22 Loading /etc/emacs22/site-start.d/00debian-vars.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50autoconf.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50cmake.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50dictionaries-common.el (source)... Loading debian-ispell... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-default.el (source)... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-dicts.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50emacs-goodies-el.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50festival.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50php-elisp.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50psvn.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50pymacs.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50python-mode.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50ruby1.8-elisp.el (source)... Wrote /etc/emacs22/site-start.d/00debian-vars.elc Wrote /usr/share/emacs22/site-lisp/debian-startup.elc install/pymacs: Handling install for emacsen flavor emacs22 Loading 00debian-vars... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50autoconf.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50cmake.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50dictionaries-common.el (source)... Loading debian-ispell... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-default.el (source)... Loading /var/cache/dictionaries-common/emacsen-ispell-dicts.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50emacs-goodies-el.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50festival.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50php-elisp.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50psvn.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50pymacs.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50python-mode.el (source)... Loading /etc/emacs/site-start.d/50ruby1.8-elisp.el (source)... Wrote /usr/share/emacs22/site-lisp/pymacs/pymacs.elc emacs22 includes it's own python-mode, skipping installation