[Tutor] Attempting to install Boa Constructor

[Alan Gauld]

> I am new to Python, and am investigating it on the advice of a
friend.

Probably a good idea, although it does depend on what you want
to use it for?

> I've installed Python 2.3.4 and confirmed that it's what is
launching.
>
> I've downloaded and run the wxPython 2.4.2.4 rpm. And I've unzipped
the
> boa-constructor-0.2.3.src.zip file.

I assume you want to do GUI development since thats BOAs forte,
and wxPython is the GUI framework that BOA uses.

> But when I try to get it to run, like this:
> [barry at dhcppc3 python2.3]$ python
> /usr/local/lib/python2.3/boa-constructor-0.2.3/boa.py
>
> I get:
> python: can't open file
> '/usr/local/lib/python2.3/boa-constructor-0.2.3/boa.py'

Are the permissions set OK? Can you open the same file using vi say?

> Do the files need to be set to be executable?

Only if you run Boa without calling python directly.

> Thanks for any insights you can provide.

The biggest insight might be to suggest you start with something
simpler like IDLE? Once you know Python as a programming language
you can then set about the relatively advanced topic of GUI
development. Trying to learn two advanced subjects (Python and
wxPython) at the same time might be tricky and learning
Python in plain ol' IDLE will be easier than struggling to
install BOA.

Just a thought,

Alan G
Author of the Learn to Program web tutor
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld/tutor2/