[Numpy-discussion] 1.1.0 OSX Installer Fails Under 10.5.3?

[Robert Kern]

On Wed, Jun 4, 2008 at 1:48 AM, J. Stark <j.stark at imperial.ac.uk> wrote:
> On this topic, I would be interested to hear people's advice on using
> the system provided Python v an independent install. In 25 years of
> using Macs I have learned through several painful lessons that its
> wise to customize the system as little as possible: this minimizes
> both conflicts and reduces problems when doing system upgrades. I
> have therefore always used the default Python provided by OSX, so far
> with no obvious disadvantages for the types of scripts I use
> (primarily home written SciPy scientific code). However, I note that
> many people run either the pythomac.org distribution, or the
> ActiveState. What are the advantages to this?

By installing a separate Python, you are actually customizing the
system *less* than if you used the system Python and installed a bunch
of extra packages. Parts of Apple's software uses the system Python.
If you upgrade packages inside there (like numpy!) you might run into
problems.

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless
enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as
though it had an underlying truth."
 -- Umberto Eco