Python on Mac OS X

[jspies at ngi-box.de]

Maybe you are interested in some experience with Python 2.0 on Mac OS X Public Beta (+ Apple's developer tools, in order to have cc and GNU make). (On a Macintosh PowerBook G3, to be precise).

I got the source distribution of Python to compile and install in the following way:

(0) called

./config

(1) Added the line

#define WITH_DYLD 1

to config.h. (Otherwise compilation fails.)

(2) Called

make

(3) Called

mv Python/python python.exe

(4) Replaced

EXE=

with

EXE=.exe

in the root makefile

(5) Called

make install

(6) Renamed python.exe in /usr/local/bin to python

Comments: Instead of the workarounds (1) and (3) the config script should be corrected to define WITH_DYLD at compilation time (this definition is contained in acconfig.h only). You should also take some measure to enable the Python interpreter executable to live in a folder that already contains the folder 'Python' in a case-insensitive file system, thus making (3), (4), and (6) unnecessary (OK, (6) is only cosmetics :-). (Why not rename the subfolder 'Python' to something else?)

Thanks for Python!o