OS X and Python - what is your install strategy?

[metaperl]

I'm about to get a new OS X box on which I will rewrite a bunch of data
munging scripts from Perl to Python. I know that there are several port
services for OS X (fink, darwin ports, opendarwin). So I am not sure
whether to use their port of Python or whether to build from scratch or
use the Python image file. Also ActivePython is something of a choice
but for some reason not a front-running one for me. I tend to like
Gentoo-style compile from source over pre-bundled all-in-one solutions
like ActivePython.

I'm not going to do much other than maybe install Plone and do some XML
and CSV processing. Most everything I need is in the Python stdlib.
Maybe down the road some graphics and web stuff (I like Clever Harold
or Pylons for that... but I still ahve not examined the 900 other web
app options in Python

 

[Diez B. Roggisch]

I'm about to get a new OS X box on which I will rewrite a bunch of data
munging scripts from Perl to Python. I know that there are several port
services for OS X (fink, darwin ports, opendarwin). So I am not sure
whether to use their port of Python or whether to build from scratch or
use the Python image file. Also ActivePython is something of a choice
but for some reason not a front-running one for me. I tend to like
Gentoo-style compile from source over pre-bundled all-in-one solutions
like ActivePython.

You will definitely need the OSX-specific framework builds - which you
can do yourself, but also install as image. All the fink/darwin ports
stuff is nice, but I bet you prefer whatever gui you might wanna use
running natively, not under X...

I'm not going to do much other than maybe install Plone and do some XML
and CSV processing. Most everything I need is in the Python stdlib.
Maybe down the road some graphics and web stuff (I like Clever Harold
or Pylons for that... but I still ahve not examined the 900 other web
app options in Python

All that doesn't affect the above.

Diez

 

[skip]

[ mp asks what version of Python to install on Mac OSX ]

I just do a Unix build from the Subversion repository. I do have fink
installed, so some of the external libraries match up there. Also, the
Mac's readline module is really libedit, which doesn't provide enough
functionality for Python's readline module. Having fink or Darwin Ports
available is handy for that sort of thing.

Skip

 

[hiaips]

I'm about to get a new OS X box on which I will rewrite a bunch of data
munging scripts from Perl to Python. I know that there are several port
services for OS X (fink, darwin ports, opendarwin). So I am not sure
whether to use their port of Python or whether to build from scratch or
use the Python image file. Also ActivePython is something of a choice
but for some reason not a front-running one for me. I tend to like
Gentoo-style compile from source over pre-bundled all-in-one solutions
like ActivePython.

I'm not going to do much other than maybe install Plone and do some XML
and CSV processing. Most everything I need is in the Python stdlib.
Maybe down the road some graphics and web stuff (I like Clever Harold
or Pylons for that... but I still ahve not examined the 900 other web
app options in Python

These days, I install the OS X universal binary provided on the Python
language web site. You can find it at
http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.4.3. It's more comprehensive
and much more up-to-date than the version included in OS X.

 

[Diez B. Roggisch]

These days, I install the OS X universal binary provided on the Python

language web site. You can find it at
http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.4.3. It's more comprehensive
and much more up-to-date than the version included in OS X.

It is. But don't fall for the temptation to remove or even only re-link
the installed version with the new one, OSX needs it's own build for
some things.

Diez