You'll need to install:

    python http://python.org/download/
    easy_install: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/setuptools
    git: https://help.github.com/articles/set-up-git

To get TwitterAPI up, run these commands:

    easy_install virtualenv
    mkdir -p ~/envs
    virtualenv ~/envs/TwitterAPI
    source ~/envs/TwitterAPI/bin/activate
    pip install python-twitter

Create a config file that defines an api object and installs your keys:

    cat >> config.py
import twitter
api = twitter.Api(consumer_key='YOURKEY1', consumer_secret='YOURKEY2', access_token_key='YOURKEY3', access_token_secret='YOURKEY4')
    ^D

Then run:

    python twitter_api.py -h