[Pythonmac-SIG] Why Do I Explicitly Need MacPython

[Christopher Barker]

Robert Love wrote:
> On Sep 20, 2006, at 3:31 PM, Ronald Oussoren wrote:
>> A major conceptual difference between MacPorts/Fink and MacPython  
>> is that the the first two are projects to use unix software on the  
>> mac, while MacPython is more focused on fitting in with the OS.
> 
> Here is the statement that puzzles me the most.  OSX is Unix.  What  
> differences are you referring to?

Here's how I think about it, and why I don't use fink or darwinports:

The whole POINT of OS-X is that Apple has put a nice layer on top of 
Unix that meets the expectations of modern, non-programmer, computer 
users. To that end, Apple has actually made it a bit awkward to do 
traditional unixy things, in tradition unixy ways. In addition, they've 
added a number of features (Frameworks, application bundles, "universal" 
binaries, etc.) that make it easier for them to provide the user 
experience that that they are trying to provide.

fink and macports are both efforts to bring as much Unix software to the 
Mac as possible. They have both taken the easy way out (I don't mean 
that to be critical, they never would had nearly as much working if they 
hadn't). That is, they've made OS-X look and act like *nix (Linux 
mostly, as least as far as fink is concerned), rather than make ALL the 
software they are porting do things the OS-X way. To me, it feels a lot 
like Cygwin on Windows. It feels like I'm doing either Unix or OS-X; 
they are not well integrated. Almost like running a virtual machine with 
Linux on it.

I've never understood the appeal to this. If I wanted Linux, I'd run 
Linux (indeed I do, more that OS-X). I guess the appeal is that you can 
run iTunes and MS Office, and the unixy stuff on the same box at the 
same time. I do get that. However, when I write python software for 
OS-X, I want it to fit in with OS-X, so I try to use the only tools that 
are OS-X native.

Still a question: my understanding is that to run apps that access Aqua, 
the app needs to be in an application bundle. As Macports and fink don't 
provide application bundles -- how is it even possible to use them to 
write apps that use Aqua? Or is there a fink version of pythonw?

-Chris


-- 
Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
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