[SciPy-User] Layering a virtualenv over EPD

[rex]

Chris Withers <chris at simplistix.co.uk> [2012-03-10 14:40]:
>On 10/03/2012 14:22, Robert Kern wrote:
>>> So, here's the problem I'm facing: I use EPD as my base python, but I
>>> have a bunch of projects that all have additional dependencies.
>>
>> Questions about EPD should go to epd-users at enthought.com
>
>Well, okay, but this is a more generic question that seems to face a lot
>of SciPy users: "I want to layer some stuff on top of a binary install
>of the scipy stuff, without poluting that base layer", that base layer
>being EPD, OS-installed packages, etc...
>
>>> ...but now, how would I start ipython using that virutalenv?
>>>
>>> I tried just running "ipython", but of course, that doesn't include the
>>> virtualenv.
>>
>> You need to install IPython in your virtualenv.
>
>Okay, but how do I do that without having to build the whole of ipython
>myself? How do I say "just let me run ipython (or any of the other
>binary tools that are in scipy) with a virtual env wrapped over it?

Simple answer: use R. I fought with Python+NumPy+SciPy+Matplotlib
problems for years before I discovered R. Night and day change. One
package that just works. Thousands of libraries that just work.

Developers, I'm not denigrating your efforts. I like Python, and I
really tried to make Python+NumPy+SciPy+Matplotlib my main tool for
years, but as a mere user it was simply too difficult to maintain the
parts -- every hour spent screwing with tool problems is an hour lost
to creative work.

Perhaps the NumPy+SciPy+Matplotlib community could learn something by
looking at how the R community works? To this mere user who wants to
get a job done, it's a night and day difference. I still use Python
for GP programming, but there's a snowball's chance I'd ever use
anything but R for my main interest, which is econometrics.

-rex
-- 
"In the real world, this would be a problem.  But in mathematics, we
can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist.  So we'll go
ahead and do that now..."