| How to install Python 1.4 on your Macintosh |
| ------------------------------------------------ |
| |
| Even if you don't usually read readme files: please read at least the |
| first sections of this file, failure to do so will probably result in |
| an unuseable python system. If this warning is too late and you already |
| have an non-functional python: it is best to remove all traces and start |
| with a fresh distribution. Especially don't forget to remove the |
| "python 1.4 preferences" file from the Preferences folder, and possibly |
| "PythonCorePPC 1.4" and/or "PythonCoreCFM68K 1.4" |
| from the Extensions folder. Before you mail me for help *please* |
| try the steps above (cleaning up and re-installing): it should fix most |
| common mistakes. If you are installing a CFM68K python also check that |
| your installation of CFM68K was done correctly. |
| |
| If this is your first encounter with Python: you definitely need the common |
| user documentation (common to all platforms). You can find this (in various |
| forms) on www.python.org and ftp.python.org. |
| |
| Mac-specific documentation is included in this distribution in folder Mac:Demo. |
| The documentation is sparse, but it will have to serve for now. The documentation |
| is in HTML format, start with index.html. |
| |
| If you have a pre-system 7 macintosh: sorry, this release will not work |
| on your system. Too many sys7 features are used to make a sys6 python |
| easy to create. If you really want one: tell me, maybe I can be convinced. |
| Alternatively: get the sources, put in the necessary gestalt() and |
| compatability calls yourself and send me the results. |
| |
| If you don't have enough memory: the sizes choosen are somewhat arbitrary. |
| Try lowering them and seeing whether the resulting python is still usable. |
| Note, however, that python running out of memory may result in your mac |
| freezing. If this happens I would like to hear of it. |
| |
| Note that if you're using Tk you might want to raise the memory size, tcl |
| and tk are quite a memory hog. |
| |
| A final note to CFM68K (and possibly PPC) users: the Code Fragment Manager |
| can (incorrectly) produce "library not found" and other strange error messages |
| when it really means that there is not enough room in the system heap. Decreasing |
| (yes, *de*creasing) the size of the interpreter and/or enabling virtual memory |
| may solve these problems. |
| |
| PowerPC and CFM68K Macintosh instructions |
| ----------------------------------------- |
| |
| For CFM68K you need a Mac with a 68020, 68030 or 68040, and at least System 7.1.1. |
| CFM68K Python will not run on PowerPC Macs. Before installing Python you |
| should install CFM68K. Put everything from the "CFM68K for System Folder" into the |
| Extensions folder and restart. |
| |
| Run the MkPluginAliases applet. This will create an initial preferences file. |
| Next, it will create a number of aliases in the PlugIns folder. Finally |
| it will put an alias to your PythonCore in the Extensions folder. The whole |
| process should be independent of any previous releases of Python on your disk |
| (and these releases should still continue working). |
| |
| For all these things to work correctly it is vital that you don't move anything |
| around before running MkPluginAliases. After you have set things up you may |
| move things around to your hearts' desire. |
| |
| Classic 68K Macintosh instructions |
| ---------------------------------- |
| |
| Run Python68K. This will create an initial preferences file. Quit python. |
| |
| Common instructions |
| ------------------- |
| |
| You should now have a functioning python. It is probably a good idea to run |
| "testall.py" from :Lib:test at this point, this should not give any errors. |
| Running testall.py is done by double-clicking it or dropping it onto the |
| interpreter. |
| Next, try "compileall.py" from :Lib to create all .pyc files (but this isn't |
| really important). |
| |
| PPC and CFM68K users have a couple of applets in the main folder they may want to try, |
| (68K users can use the corresponding scripts from the "scripts" folder): |
| |
| - EditPythonPrefs allows you to edit the preferences file, to change the |
| python home folder or modify the initial sys.path setting. |
| The default settings are somewhat arbitrary, you can remove tkinter if |
| you don't use it and possibly add Extensions:img:Lib. |
| - mkapplet creates a python applet, a tiny application written |
| in python. Drop a python source on it and out comes the application. More |
| information can be found in the "Mac:Demo" folder. |
| |
| PPC and CFM68K users will see one more files in the python folder: PythonApplet. This is |
| the template for building applets, leave it alone. For the 1.4b3 release the applet is |
| specific for your installation, i.e. PPC applets will not run on CFM68K machines and vice |
| versa. I hope to fix this soon. |
| |
| Things to see |
| ------------- |
| |
| There are some readme files in the "Read me files" folder that may contain |
| useful information. There is also a first stab at documentation (plus examples) |
| in the Mac:Demo folder. The toplevel Demo folder has machine-independent demos. |
| See the file Readme-mac for mac-specific notes. The Mac:Lib:test folder also |
| has some programs that show simple capabilities of various modules. |
| |
| The "scripts" folder has some sample scripts. Some are useful, some are just |
| interesting to look at to see how various things work. The MkDistr, mkapplet |
| and fullbuild scripts (plus the ones mentioned above) may help you to understand |
| how to use AppleEvents and various other toolboxes from python. |
| |
| The 'img' group of modules, which handles I/O of many different image formats |
| (not pict yet, sigh:-) is included, but without documentation. You can find |
| docs at ftp://ftp.cwi.nl/pub/jack/python/img (or somewhere around there). |
| |
| Upgrading from older Python releases |
| ------------------------------------ |
| |
| Since release 1.4 Python releases are independent of each other, with separate |
| Preferences files, shared library names, etc. The good news is that this means you |
| can keep your older version around if you are unsure whether to upgrade. The bad |
| news is that your old preference settings are lost and you have to set them again. |
| |
| After you are satisfied that 1.4 works as expected you can trash anything in the |
| system folder that has "python" in the name and not "1.4". |
| |
| Feedback |
| -------- |
| |
| Send bug reports, suggestions, contributions and fanmail to <jack@cwi.nl>. |
| Be warned however that I'm pretty busy, so I may not always |
| respond immedeately. |
| |
| A better way to discuss MacPython is to join the <pythonmac-sig@python.org> |
| mailing list, which is explicitly meant for this purpose. |
| |
| Alternatively, you can try sending to comp.lang.python or python-list@cwi.nl, |
| but since I read the newsgroup, not the mailinglist, I may miss it there |
| (but other people may know quite a bit more than me anyway:-). |
| |
| Jack Jansen |
| Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica |
| Kruislaan 413 |
| 1098 SJ Amsterdam |
| the Netherlands |
| |
| <jack@cwi.nl>, http://www.cwi.nl/~jack |