[Pythonmac-SIG] Pythonmac-SIG Digest, Vol 34, Issue 19

[Daniel Lord]

>
> From: Charles Hartman <charles.hartman at conncoll.edu>
> Date: 6 February 2006 06:43:48 GMT-08:00
> To: Louis Pecora <pecora at anvil.nrl.navy.mil>
> Cc: pythonmac-sig at python.org
> Subject: Re: [Pythonmac-SIG] install again?
>
>
> Hence, yet again, a plea for newbies everywhere:
>
> I continue to believe that it really, really shouldn't be necessary  
> for people who want to write programs in Python for the Mac to do  
> all this. Great to learn as much as possible, yes, always -- but to  
> require people, just to get started, to learn about shells and the  
> Terminal, which they may never have dealt with before, even if they  
> have a variety of Mac programming experience, is not to put Python  
> on its best footing.

You don't have to do this to get started. This only became necessary  
because the person installed a non-official Python release. Stick  
with the default version Apple ships and it is indeed simple--one  
need do none of this.

I understand the frustration and confusion over having to delve into  
some of the technical details regarding command search ordering, but  
every operating system solves the problem in a technical way (even  
Windows) although it is transparent to the average user when it gives  
the expected results. Installing two version of Microsoft Words on  
Windows will cause the same problem--one has to be set to be the  
default and the other will take a little or even a lot of work to  
run. Microsoft will try to prevent two versions from being installed  
to avoid this problem. In fact, Windows annoys me often when  
launching non-Microsoft applications to ask if I wouldn't rather have  
Microsoft's application set as the default. In this case Microsoft is  
trying to keep the command searching straight for you--but only  
because these are end-user applications that are launched  
transparently without the command line. Microsoft WIndows provides no  
help when looking for commands from the DOS Shell either. In fact,  
there is a lot more information available on UNIX for free than for  
the inner working of WIndows.

As for Apple and Python: Apple supports Python just fine-only one  
version of Python comes installed and it is always found from the  
command line. By installing 2.4, a user has installed a non-Apple- 
official version so the user has to take responsibility for setting  
it up properly. Apple has a rigorous testing process and releases  
software when they are ready for fully support it for their  
environment. Because 2.3 is the official Apple version, the creators  
of the 2.4 binary package did not want to overwrite 2.3 and assume  
the liability for the users system. Imagine how much more frustrated  
you'd be if that happened and then something broke?

If one wants to 'push' the metaphorical envelope and run a non- 
official version of Python, one must accept the risk that one may  
make mistakes and also take on the additional burden of educating  
oneself to avoid problems. There is an assumption that when one is  
using development tools, one knows a bit more of the technical  
details on using the operating system. If one doesn't understand the  
PATH environment variable, then the concept of site-packages and  
module scope and precedence and searching fundamental to Python will  
be lost as well--they are very similar. There are many informative,  
well-written tutorials out on the web one can use to learn about the  
UNIX environment, the BASH shell and it is easy to create an  
environment where one can run both 2.3 and 2.4 safely. take a deep  
breath and devote 15 minutes to reading one. It will benefit you  
greatly I promise. Many Python books also describe setting up one's  
environment. But no one is forcing you to. If the added effort is not  
to your liking, I'd suggest you stay with 2.3 and keep it simple. But  
don't blame Python, Apple, or the great group of folks here who  
unselfishly keep Mac Python going.

Daniel Lord

Intro to Shell variables and path: http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/ 
~matloff/UnixAndC/Unix/ShellIntro.html

Learn about these commands: which, echo $PATH, alias


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