[Pythonmac-SIG] Python 2.2b1 on OS X

[W.T. Bridgman]

Jack,

Thanks for the response.  Before I had OS X running, I didn't pay too 
much attention to threads with OS X focus and didn't catch the change 
in development path.  I did see a mention of it in an ADC e-mail I 
received today.  I've retrieved the other installer and should 
attempt this next.

Thanks,
Tom

>  > Okay, I've finally got an OS X partition on my laptop and have run
>>  the installer for Python 2.2b1.
>
>I smell confusion here. For OS X there are two distinct Python's:
>- MacPython, which comes with an installer, and is essentially the same
>   as MacPython on OS 9.
>- OS X command line Python (which I tend to also refer to as MachoPython)
>   which comes as a tar file with sources for you to compile.
>
>For the time being the two are very different beasts. There are converging,
>but a lot of work remains to be done. They also live in pretty different
>"universes": MacPython has access to all the MacOS windowing, dialog,
>quicktime, etc code, MachoPython less so (for now). MacPython  uses Mac-style
>colon:separated:pathnames, MachoPython /standard/unix/pathnames. They also use
>different low-level runtime architectures (MacOS9-style CFM for MacPython,
>the new Mach-O for MachoPython).
>
>>  The installer seemed to run fine but when I ran the tests, it crashed
>>  when it hit the socket test (I was not connected at the time).  Note
>>  that this was running Python by double-clicking the icon.
>
>That's normal, both in MacPYthon and in MachoPython.
>
>>  I wondered whether the tests would run better if performed from a
>>  terminal window but the installer doesn't seem to do a setup for
>>  command-line use.  I suspect I need to do a 'ln -s' on something to
>>  somewhere, but what?
>
>This seems to suggest you use MacPython. And for MacPython there is no
>commandline, see the comment above.
>
>>  Also, I understand Apple was involved in getting the latest Tcl/Tk
>>  ported to OS X.  How does this impact Tkinter running natively under
>>  OS X?  Would it be a 'drop-in' installation or is everyone just
>>  waiting for wxPython to be ready for prime time?
>
>Well, "drop in" is a bit too easy, but there is work being done to get Tkinter
>working in MachoPython, Tony Lownds is looking at it.
>
>>  I've dealt with Unix as a user, but never as an admin.  This strange
>>  creature arising from the merger of Unix and MacOS will take some
>>  getting used to.
>
>Don't worry, in another year or so most programs will be "Unix Inside", but as
>a Mac-head you'll never notice, because all developers (including us:-) will
>have worked out how to do the .app magic and such.
>--
>Jack Jansen             | ++++ stop the execution of Mumia Abu-Jamal ++++
>Jack.Jansen@oratrix.com | ++++ if you agree copy these lines to your sig ++++
>www.cwi.nl/~jack        | see http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/spg-l/sigaction.htm