Mac-noob advice for installing

[C M]

I'm helping a friend at a distance set up a Python/wxPython (and other
libraries) environment on his Mac (OSX Lion)...he was able to get
wxPython to work using the Mac-installed version of Python but it
might be balking now for Matplotlib, so I'm going to suggest he
install the Python.org version of Python 2.7.3 and try again.

Here's my Mac-noob question: is there anything tricky he needs to
know about how to do this, or is it fairly self-explanatory? I'd
think he'd just install the Python.org Python then the wxPython
install would somehow prompt him to install wxPython *under the
Python.org version of Python* (and the same for Matplotlib and other
libraries). Is that about right?

Just reality checking before I send him on a wild goose chase.
Thanks,
Che

[Chris Barker]

On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 1:54 PM, C M <cmpy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm helping a friend at a distance set up a Python/wxPython (and other
> libraries) environment on his Mac (OSX Lion)...he was able to get
> wxPython to work using the Mac-installed version of Python but it
> might be balking now for Matplotlib, so I'm going to suggest he
> install the Python.org version of Python 2.7.3 and try again.

good idea, yes.

> Here's my Mac-noob question:  is there anything tricky he needs to
> know about how to do this, or is it fairly self-explanatory?  I'd
> think he'd just install the Python.org Python then the wxPython
> install would somehow prompt him to install wxPython *under the
> Python.org version of Python* (and the same for Matplotlib and other
> libraries).  Is that about right?

sort of:

First, be sure to install the python.org build:

Python 2.7.3 Mac OS X 32-bit i386/PPC Installer (for Mac OS X 10.3
through 10.6 [2])

(wxPython is still 32 bit (unless he was to work with the dev Cocoa version...).

Then he may or may not need to -re-install wxPython -- the wxPython
installer installs in such as way as it will work with both apple and
python,org builds, but not sure it it installs the right stuff if the
python.org bild is not that when you run the install -- so better to
re-run it.

Also make sure he uses the right binaries for numpy, matplotlib, etc
-- they all need to be the PPC/Intel 32 bit build as well.

-Chris

--

Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
Oceanographer

Emergency Response Division
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Chris....@noaa.gov

[C M]

[other helpful points snipped]

> Also make sure he uses the right binaries for numpy, matplotlib, etc
> -- they all need to be the PPC/Intel 32 bit build as well.
>
> -Chris

Thanks, Chris. I'll try again with him once he has some spare time.

Che