Installing Python2.6 on Mac Os (Leopard)

[Philip Semanchuk]

On Nov 17, 2008, at 1:17 PM, Diez B. Roggisch wrote:

> Philip Semanchuk wrote:
>
>>
>> On Nov 17, 2008, at 10:53 AM, Massi wrote:
>>
>>> Hi everyone, I'm trying to install Python2.6 on my mac (Leopard
>>> 10.5.5), but I'm encountering some problems. To install the  
>>> package I
>>> followed the instructions I found at this link:
>>> http://wiki.python.org/moin/MacPython/Leopard
>>> If I open wing, it turns out that the installed version is actually
>>> 2.6, but if i run python from terminal it displays version 2.5.1,  
>>> that
>>> is the default version for leopard. Furthermore I can't launch idle.
>>> I'm pretty new to mac os environment so forgive me if my questions  
>>> are
>>> silly. Any hint?
>>
>> Your terminal is using the shell environment -- specifically the PATH
>> -- to find Python. Although your Python is probably installed in a
>> Framework directory, one doesn't typically put Framework directories
>> in the PATH. Instead, your install may have created symlinks in /usr/
>> bin or /usr/local/bin to your Python 2.6 install. If, for instance,
>> those symlinks live in /usr/local/bin, then put that directory first
>> in your path and then typing `python` at the command line will launch
>> Python 2.6.
>
> AFAIK there are no symlinks at all created, everything resides
> under /Library/Framework/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/bin.

Sorry if I misinformed; I have such symlinks in /usr/local/bin dated  
the same day as my custom Python install. I guess I could have created  
them myself, but I don't think I would have bothered creating a  
symlink for pythonw, for example since I never use it.


> A note to the OP: be cautious about replacing /usr/bin/python with  
> your new
> & shiny 2.6! That is likely to break the system, as OSX
> uses /usr/bin/python and expects it to be the standard version  
> shipped.
>
> Creating
>
> /usr/bin/python2.6
>
> should be safe though.

Good point, once again I'm sorry for my sloppy information.

bye
Philip