python on Mac

[Robert Kern]

James Stroud wrote:
> Thomas Nelson wrote:
> 
>>I just purchased a new macbook (os 10.4.6), and I'm trying to install
>>python 2.4 on it.  I downloaded and ran the two installers recommended
>>at http://www.python.org/download/mac/.  Now I have IDLE, which runs
>>2.4.1, but typing "python" at a terminal still opens 2.3.5, because it
>>points to /usr/bin/python.  Is there a way to run python 2.4 without
>>idle?  If I want to do a unix style script, something like
>>#!/usr/bin/python
>>print "hello world"
>>what can I put on the first line that will cause python 2.4 to
>>interpret my code?
>>
>>Thanks a lot.
>>THN
> 
> The python in /usr/bin is a link (to a link). You can do this:
> 
> sudo rm /usr/bin/python
> sudo ln -s \
>     /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.4/bin/python \
>     /usr/bin/python

No, for the love of all that is holy, don't do that! OS X depends on stuff in
/usr/bin/. Don't pull the carpet out from under your OS!

The python executables from the Python 2.4 installer are installed to
/usr/local/bin/. I believe that the Universal binary that Alex linked to takes
care of adjusting the PATH environment variable such that this is exposed.

-- 
Robert Kern
robert.kern at gmail.com

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
 that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
 an underlying truth."
  -- Umberto Eco