[Pythonmac-SIG] Re: [wxPython-mac] Python that ships with Jaguar vs...

[Jack Jansen]

Kevin Altis wrote:
> After installing Jaguar, running python at the Terminal shows:
>
> Python 2.2 (#1, 07/14/02, 23:25:09)
> [GCC Apple cpp-precomp 6.14] on darwin
> Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>
> In addition, there is no longer any pythonw in place, so the Jaguar
> installation must have wiped it out.

Check your PATH variable. I noticed that /usr/local/bin is no longer in 
the default path, and that's probably where you installed your framework 
python and pythonw.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2002, at 12:34 , Chris Barker wrote:
> Apparently no one at Apple thought to get in touch with Jack or this
> list to find out what was going on with Python on OS-X. Too bad. Maybe
> they'll learn to understand open source development eventually.

Actually, they did get into touch with me (albeit at a late stage) and I 
suggested they stay away from the framework build for now. Not that it 
mattered any what I said, as things were underway too long anyway (I did 
try to get 2.2.1 in stead of 2.2 included, but even that wasn't possible 
anymore).

The 2.2.1 framework build has too few advantages over the non-framework 
build (and the 2.2 framework build was basically non-functional). 
Moreover, there are potential problems with it (for instance the crash 
if you import a Carbon or other windowing module if you don't have 
access to the window server).

What I think we should do is go full speed ahead with a decent framework 
build for Python 2.3, and make sure that such a build can coexist with 
Apple's non-framework 2.2 with as little confusion to the user as 
possible. If Apple stick to the 9 month release cycle that seems to be 
appearing then Python 2.3 will probably miss the window for MacOSX 10.3 
anyway. But if PythonLauncher and the IDE and such tools are aware of 
the fact that there are probably two distinct Python installations there 
really isn't much of a problem. And it gives us the freedom to do 
development in our own time, in stead of being tied to someone else's 
release schedule.

(Incidentally, this de-coupling of release schedules is also why I'm 
hammering on this Python Install Manager stuff over on pythonmac-sig: 
with wxPython and PyObjC and such seeing so much activity at the moment 
it would be a real shame if new versions would become available to the 
general public only when a full Python release is done. If the PIM can 
make it relatively painless to install and upgrade packages we can have 
our cake and eat it too.
--
- Jack Jansen        <Jack.Jansen@oratrix.com>        
http://www.cwi.nl/~jack -
- If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution -- Emma 
Goldman -