How to upgrade to 2.4.1 on Mac OS X tiger

[Robert Kern]

Mike Meyer wrote:

> Depends on what you want to do with it. If you favor one of the
> package systems (fink, darwinports, emerge), you probably want to use
> that one. That way, you won't have to worry about whether or not
> another package from that system will find the one Python you
> installed (and hence all the things installed by it), or will install
> things again.
> 
> Otherwise, I agree with Robert - use the official one. Of course, if
> one of the other two includes all the extra functionality you want,
> use it.

One thing that should be noted is that fink's python, last time I
checked, isn't built as a framework build, so it can't talk to the
native GUI or use PyObjC. That's a shame.

darwinports' python is a framework build, but does silly things like
linking to an X11 version of Tk instead of TclTkAqua like the official
distribution.

ActiveState's python is also a framework build, but I don't see how it
adds anything beyond what's provided by the official installer besides
packaging freely available documentation.

I have no idea how emerge's python is built.

The official build is going to be the most widely used and tested. Tools
like py2app and PyObjC are guaranteed to work with it.

> Come to think of it, what's installed by Apple may count as a
> different distribution as well. It certainly includes more than just
> the official distribution.

It's also old and probably won't be the same version in 10.5. If you
want any control over how you distribute your apps, use the official
2.4.1 binary and embed the interpreter inside your .app bundle with py2app.

-- 
Robert Kern
rkern at ucsd.edu

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
 Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
  -- Richard Harter