[Numpy-discussion] numpy/scipy transition

[Arnd Baecker]

Hi,

On Wed, 15 Feb 2006, Travis Oliphant wrote:

> Arnd Baecker wrote:
>
> >Reasons not to switch
> >- there is no enthought edition yet (right?)
> >- there are only packages for a few platforms/distribution
> >- we need scipy.xplt
> >  (matplotlib is still no option at this point)
> >
> >Discussion/Background:
> >
> >To us the two main show-stoppers are scipy.xplt and the question
> >about an Enthought Edition  for Windows.
> >For the Pool of PCs where the tutorial groups are to be held,
> >it won't be a problem to install numpy/scipy in such
> >a way that scipy.sandbox.xplt is visible as scipy.xplt
> >(at least I hope).
> >However, the students will either have windows (around 80%)
> >or Linux at home. For windows users we have used
> >the Enthought Edition (http://code.enthought.com/enthon/)
> >and linux users were pointed to
> >available packages for their machines or to install Numeric/scipy
> >themselves.
> >
> As long as there are binaries for all the packages.  Just having a list
> of Windows installers can also work.
> Were you using all of what is in
> the Enthon edition?

Of course not (there is so much stuff ;-), but
the students made good use of VPython and also VTK/MayaVi was well
recieved.

So the bare minimum might be python+numpy/scipy/ipython/Vpython
(+any windows specific stuff?) + maybe VTK and MayaVi

> >Concerning xplt another option might be to
> >install scipy.sandbox.xplt in such a way
> >that a `import xplt` would work. If that is possible we could
> >try to supply `xplt` separately for some of the distributions,
> >and maybe also for windows (which I don't use, so I have
> >no idea how difficult that would be).
> >
> >
> I don't think that would be hard at all.  You can just run python
> setup.py bdist_inst from within the sandbox/xplt directory and get a
> windows installer.

OK, some in our group have much better knowledge about
windows, so I will ask them to test this approach.

> >If something like this was possible, the main question is
> >whether a new enthon distribution with new numpy/scipy/ipython
> >and all the other niceties of mayavi/VTK/wxPython/....
> >will come out in the near future?
> >
> I have no idea about that one.   But, it sounds like the guy (Joe) at
> Enthought who did most of the work on the Enthon distribution is no
> longer as available for them, so I'm not sure...

I see - could this somehow be turned into a community effort?
Surely it is a non-trivial task - in particular the monolithic
structure of an all-in-one download package seems to make
upgrades of individual components difficult.
Would something like some super-installer,
calling the individual package installers be possible?
(or does anything like a package management system for windows exist?)
You see, I don't know anything about Windows, so I better
shut up on this ;-).

Many thanks, Arnd