On Fedora Linux, most Python modules are available in packages whose names start with python-. You can use yum to search for matching packages available to install. For example, if you want to install the dateutil module:

# yum search dateutil
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
============================== Matched: dateutil ===============================
python-dateutil.noarch : Powerful extensions to the standard datetime module
        
        

If it is available, you can install it (as root):

# yum install -y python-dateutil
Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
fedora                                                   | 2.4 kB     00:00     
updates                                                  | 2.3 kB     00:00     
Setting up Install Process
Parsing package install arguments
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package python-dateutil.noarch 0:1.2-2.fc9 set to be updated
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Dependencies Resolved

=============================================================================
 Package                 Arch       Version          Repository        Size 
=============================================================================
Installing:
 python-dateutil         noarch     1.2-2.fc9        fedora            165 k

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

Total download size: 165 k
Downloading Packages:
(1/1): python-dateutil-1.2-2.fc9.noarch.rpm              | 165 kB     00:00     
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Finished Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
  Installing     : python-dateutil                                   [1/1] 

Installed: python-dateutil.noarch 0:1.2-2.fc9
Complete!
        
        

On Ubuntu Linux, most Python modules are available in packages whose names start with python-. You can use the Synaptic Package Manager to search for matching packages available to install.

On the command-line you may also use apt and apt-search. For example, if you want to install the dateutil module:

$ apt-cache search dateutil
python-dateutil - powerful extensions to the standard datetime module

        

If it is available, you can install it:

$ sudo apt-get install python-dateutil
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  python-dateutil
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B/211kB of archives.
After this operation, 422kB of additional disk space will be used.
Selecting previously deselected package python-dateutil.
(Reading database ... 366470 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking python-dateutil (from .../python-dateutil_1.3-1_all.deb) ...
Setting up python-dateutil (1.3-1) ...