[Pythonmac-SIG] Progress report: unix python on Mac OS X

[Russell E Owen]

I used fink to install the source version of python, to give it maximum odds of building all optional packages. This was version 2.1.1. It ran just fine and Tkinter, etc. clearly work.

Unfortunately, I have not yet figured out how to get a working X server. The fink versions crash for me (the rootless crashes twm at startup. sometimes leaving usable-but-unmovable windows, sometimes leaving nothing). I'm less sure what's wrong with the "more stable but older" rooted version. I have not yet tried rebooting the Mac.

I also am trying the eXodus 8 demo, but have run into different problems there (figuring out how to get my Mac to see it; setting DISPLAY to localhost:0.0 didn't do it).

Also, amusingly enough, fink now has python 2.2 binary available, supposedly with all optional packages built. Unfortunately, it requires "gmp", which fink doesn't have available (nor do I know what it is; I suppose it might even be a misspelling of some other package, such as "gimp").

Anyway, it's not perfect, but overall I'm pretty impressed with fink. Also Mac OS X is rough in places (keyboard navigation in the open dialogs is disgusting and some modern apps crash and some older ones will not run in Classic at all), but overall it seems OK, and the enhanced multitasking is very nice.

-- Russell