Python 3.3.2 Shell Message

[Bart Montgomery]

I just starting out and am using the Python For Kids book. I have an 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac running OS X 10.6.8, and I’m getting this message when I open IDLE:

 

Warning: The version of Tcl/Tk (8.5.7) in use may be unstable. Visit http://www.python.org/download/mac/tcltk/ for current information.

 

Not sure how to proceed.

 

 

[Ned Deily]

In article <BLU170-W5070CFBBC...@phx.gbl>,

Bart Montgomery <long...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>

















I just starting out and am using the Python For Kids book.
> I have an 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac running OS X 10.6.8,

and I雋 getting

> this message when I open IDLE:



Warning: The version of Tcl/Tk (8.5.7) in
> use may be
unstable. Visit http://www.python.org/download/mac/tcltk/ for
> current
information.



Not sure how to proceed.

It is telling you that the Tcl/Tk on OS X 10.6 is buggy when used with IDLE.
Go to ActiveState's web site and download their latest 8.5 installer for OS X
and install it on your machine. Restart IDLE and the message should no longer
appear and your experience with IDLE should be much better.

http://www.activestate.com/activetcl/downloads

--
Ned Deily,
n...@acm.org

[stan...@gmail.com]

Hi Ned,

I am running into the same problem described by Bart. I am teaching my kids to program using the Python For Kids book on a Mac OSX 10.8.5.


I have installed "Mac OS X 64-bit/32-bit Installer (3.3.3) for Mac OS X 10.6 and later" (file: python-3.3.3-macosx10.6.dmg) and installed the "ActiveTcl 8.6.1 for Mac OS X (10.5+, x86_64/x86)" (file: ActiveTcl8.6.1.1.297588-macosx10.5-i386-x86_64-threaded), but IDLE keeps showing the message "WARNING: The version of Tcl/Tk (8.5.9) in use may be unstable. Visit http://www.python.org/download/mac/tcltk/ for current information."

Per your instructions in the thread http://code.activestate.com/lists/python-dev/117314/ I have inspected the IDLE process using Activity Monitor and the Tcl/Tk processes being used are:
/System/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.5/Tcl
/System/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/8.5/Tk

Is there a PATH setting or something I can use to force the use of the ActiveTcl Tcl/Tk located in:
/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.5/Tcl and
/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/8.5/Tk

I have tried a bunch of different things all to no avail, so I am now reaching for help. I have UNIX experience and a CS degree, although very rusty, so have at with any technical instructions. Thank you very much!!!

[stan...@gmail.com]

> Is there a PATH setting or something I can use to force the use of the ActiveTcl Tcl/Tk located in:
> /Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.5/Tcl and
> /Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/8.5/Tk

Correction. The ActiveTcl /Library directions are:

/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.6
/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.6

Note also that symbolic links were created by something (assume the install script) from:

/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/Current to
/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.6 to

and

/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/Current to
/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/8.6

Also, the IDLE message I am getting (which is slightly different than Bart's) is: "WARNING: The version of Tcl/Tk (8.5.9) in use may be unstable." I assume this is referring to the Apple system version of Tcl/Tk.

Maybe there is symbolic link I need to set-up...

By the way, I have tried to address with setting to PATH in .bash_profile, having /usr/local/bin first in the path. This has created a situation of running the correct version of tclsh from bash, but it does not solve the problem for IDLE, even if putting a specific call to . .bash_profile from the Automator script which starts IDLE.

Actively working on this... may try to create a symbolic link from /System/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/Current to /Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/Current

[stan...@gmail.com]

> Actively working on this... may try to create a symbolic link from
> /System/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/Current to
> /Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/Current

Symbolic link (ln -s) does not seem to have worked either. Grrrr.

Tried

/System/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions, did
ln -s /Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.6 Current

and

/System/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions, did
ln -s /Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/8.6 Current

Also tried

/System/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions, did
ln -s /Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/Current Current

and

/System/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions, did
ln -s /Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/Current Current
such as /System/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/Current to /Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.6 (instead of Current).

[Stan Ward]

On Sunday, December 29, 2013 5:18:18 PM UTC-5, Stan Ward wrote:

Note: I do not get the "WARNING: The version of Tcl/Tk (8.5.9) in use may be unstable." message when I run python directly from bash (Mac "Terminal"), but I do get it in the IDLE.app Shell Window, run as follows, based on the recommendation in Python for Kids, with the addition of the .bash_profile call to to try to ensure paths.

. .bash_profile
open -a "//Applications/Python 3.3/IDLE.app" --args -n

Sorry about all this newbie questions/info.

[Ned Deily]

In article <78312fc7-adf1-4324...@googlegroups.com>,

stan...@gmail.com wrote:
> I have installed "Mac OS X 64-bit/32-bit Installer (3.3.3) for Mac OS X 10.6
> and later" (file: python-3.3.3-macosx10.6.dmg) and installed the "ActiveTcl
> 8.6.1 for Mac OS X (10.5+, x86_64/x86)" (file:
> ActiveTcl8.6.1.1.297588-macosx10.5-i386-x86_64-threaded), but IDLE keeps
> showing the message "WARNING: The version of Tcl/Tk (8.5.9) in use may be
> unstable. Visit http://www.python.org/download/mac/tcltk/ for current
> information."

You need to install ActiveTcl 8.5 for OS X, currently 8.5.15.0. It's
further down on the ActiveTcl download page
(http://www.activestate.com/activetcl/downloads). Installing 8.6.1 does
not help (it doesn't hurt, either, so you don't need to worry about
removing it).

--
Ned Deily,
n...@acm.org

[Stan Ward]

Thanks Ned. That did the trick! Jason Briggs, author of Python of Kids, gave me the same answer. Happy to be over this hurdle. Thanks! Happy New Year!!