Getting up and running with Python on a Mac

[tkpmep]

I've just bought an iMac (OS X 10.5.2, will almost immediately jump to
10.5.3), and am looking to install Python on it, and to use it with
XCode, Apple's IDE. Some googling suggests that a number of people
have had trouble getting Python to run satisfactorily on their Macs.
This is my first Mac, and I'd appreciate some guidance on what to do
(and what not to) when installing Python and potential problems to
keep an eye open for. I want to do a fair bit of scientific /
numerical computing, so it would seem that SAGE ot the Enthought
Python distribution would seem to be the most relevant - I'd
appreciate your guidance on getting Python to run on a Mac with a
particular focus on these two distributions.

Thank you in advance

Thomas Philips

 

[Kevin Walzer]

I've just bought an iMac (OS X 10.5.2, will almost immediately jump to
10.5.3), and am looking to install Python on it, and to use it with
XCode, Apple's IDE. Some googling suggests that a number of people
have had trouble getting Python to run satisfactorily on their Macs.
This is my first Mac, and I'd appreciate some guidance on what to do
(and what not to) when installing Python and potential problems to
keep an eye open for. I want to do a fair bit of scientific /
numerical computing, so it would seem that SAGE ot the Enthought
Python distribution would seem to be the most relevant - I'd
appreciate your guidance on getting Python to run on a Mac with a
particular focus on these two distributions.

Thank you in advance

Thomas Philips

OS X 10.5 comes with Python installed already: 2.5.1. If you want to use
Xcode with Python that's the way to go.

If you want a later version of Python, you can download one from
python.org, but I am not sure how that integrates wtih Xcode.

 

[Steve Lianoglou]

I want to do a fair bit of scientific /

numerical computing, so it would seem that SAGE ot the Enthought
Python distribution would seem to be the most relevant  - I'd
appreciate your guidance on getting Python to run on a Mac with a
particular focus on these two distributions.

As already mentioned, you can use the already installed Python that
comes with Leopard (2.5.1), or you can download the latest from
python.org (2.5.2).

Either way, another way do get a scientific environment up and running
is by getting the "Scipy Superpack" installer. It's a frontend that
downloads and installs the latest scipy/numpy/matplotlib/ipython combo
(from their SVN repos). The author updates the builds every so often,
so you can for the most part run with the latest updates:

http://macinscience.org/?page_id=6

If you're using the Python that comes with Leopard, it will be very
straightforward and you'll have nothing else to do aside from running
the Superpack installer.

If you want to use the latest Python from Python.org, there will be
some trickery, which includes:

(i) getting the correct (newer) python to come first in your path,
(ii) installing setuptools for the new python
(iii) insuring that the new setuptools easy_install is "the one" in
your path
(iv) install the latest OS X wxPython build (from their website).

It's all fairly straightforward once you account for the
aforementioned gotchas.

As far as the enthought installer goes, I wasn't aware that it was
ready for showtime on OS X ... do you know otherwise?

HTH,
-steve

 

[Tommy Nordgren]

I've just bought an iMac (OS X 10.5.2, will almost immediately jump to
10.5.3), and am looking to install Python on it, and to use it with

There is no need to install Python. It's distributed with the system.

XCode, Apple's IDE. Some googling suggests that a number of people
have had trouble getting Python to run satisfactorily on their Macs.
This is my first Mac, and I'd appreciate some guidance on what to do
(and what not to) when installing Python and potential problems to
keep an eye open for. I want to do a fair bit of scientific /
numerical computing, so it would seem that SAGE ot the Enthought
Python distribution would seem to be the most relevant - I'd
appreciate your guidance on getting Python to run on a Mac with a
particular focus on these two distributions.

Thank you in advance

Thomas Philips

------
What is a woman that you forsake her, and the hearth fire and the home
acre,
to go with the old grey Widow Maker. --Kipling, harp song of the Dane
women
Tommy Nordgren
(e-mail address removed)