| How to install Python 1.6a2 on your Macintosh | 
 | --------------------------------------------- | 
 |  | 
 | 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. Through | 
 | there, or via http://www.cwi.nl/~jack/macpython.html you can also find | 
 | the most recent MacPython distribution. | 
 |  | 
 | 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. | 
 |  | 
 | Caveats | 
 | ------- | 
 | This is an alfa version, and for this once it really means that: there | 
 | are quite a few features that have only lightly been tested, and bugs are | 
 | to be expected. | 
 |  | 
 | Aside from the general Python 1.6 features like unicode support the | 
 | main new features of this MacPython release is support for multithreading. | 
 | This has had some preliminary testing, but please report any success or failure | 
 | on the mailing list. | 
 |  | 
 | This installer installs MacPython for PowerPC only, whether a 68K distribution | 
 | of Python 1.6 will happen is not certain at the moment. | 
 |  | 
 | Changes since 1.6a1 | 
 | ------------------- | 
 |  | 
 | - All core-Python changes, plus a few from after 1.6a2, approximately as the | 
 |   Python CVS tree was at May 5. | 
 | - The threading performance bug has been fixed. | 
 | - Tkinter is included again (yeah!), but only lightly tested. Please report | 
 |   findings to the mailing list. | 
 | - macfsn.py is auto-imported on startup (unless disabled with a new option). | 
 |   This retrofits macfs.StandardGetFile() and friends to use Navigation Services | 
 |   in stead of the old Standard File dialogs. | 
 | - I think all installer problems have been fixed. Please report if not so. | 
 |  | 
 | What to install | 
 | --------------- | 
 |  | 
 | This installer is PPC only: too many new MacOS features are not available on 68K, | 
 | and doing workarounds, even just #ifdeffing in the code, is too much work for | 
 | me right now. If someone wants to revive 68K-MacPython: please do so. The project | 
 | files still contain the 68K targets (they're simply skipped by the build process) | 
 | so all that is needed is CodeWarrior, a source distribution and commitment. | 
 |  | 
 | The optional parts in this distribution are | 
 | - TK+PIL: Tkinter and support modules, plus Imaging, the Python image manipulation  | 
 |   package (allows you to read, write and display images and do lots of operations on them). | 
 | - img: another imaging package. Has more file format support and is faster | 
 |   than imaging, but has only limited operations on images. There is a bridge | 
 |   between the packages. | 
 | - Numeric: the LLNL Numeric Python extension. All sorts of nifty operations | 
 |   on matrices and such. | 
 | - Developers kit: all header files and some tools and sample projects to get you started on | 
 |   writing Python extensions if you have CodeWarrior. | 
 | All these except the DevKit are installed with Easy Install. | 
 |  | 
 | After the installer finishes it automatically launches the | 
 | ConfigurePython applet, to finish configuration of your Python. | 
 |  | 
 | If you don't have enough memory: the sizes choosen are somewhat | 
 | arbitrary. Try lowering the application sizes in the finder "get info" | 
 | window, and seeing whether the resulting python is still usable. Some | 
 | modules (Tkinter comes to mind) need a lot of memory, so it may also be | 
 | necessary to increase the application size. | 
 |  | 
 | After installing | 
 | ---------------- | 
 |  | 
 | The first step thing you could try is to run "compileall.py" to create | 
 | all .pyc files, but this isn't very important, as pyc files are | 
 | created on-the-fly as well. You may also want to skip this step if you | 
 | are low on diskspace. | 
 |  | 
 | Next, it is probably a good idea to run the automatic tests. Start | 
 | Python and "import test.autotest". This should not print only one error, about some | 
 | AM/PM format not supported in strftime.  | 
 | It will, however, print some messages about optional features | 
 | not supported. Also, if you didn't run compileall before autotesting | 
 | you may run out of memory the first time you run the | 
 | tests. test_socket may also fail if you have no internet | 
 | connection. Please also read the Relnotes file for other minor | 
 | problems with this distribution. | 
 |  | 
 | Using Python is most easily done from the IDE, which has a builtin editor, | 
 | debugger and other goodies. The alternative is to use PythonInterpreter, | 
 | which is the lowlevel interpreter with a console-window only (similar to Unix | 
 | Python). | 
 |  | 
 | Uninstalling | 
 | ------------ | 
 |  | 
 | Two items are installed in the system folder: the interpreter shared | 
 | library "PythonCore 1.6a2" lives in the Extensions folder and the | 
 | "Python 1.6a2 Preferences" file in the Preferences folder. All the rest | 
 | of Python lives in the folder you installed in. | 
 |  | 
 | Things to see | 
 | ------------- | 
 |  | 
 | Start off at Mac:Demo:index.html. Read at least the first few sections. | 
 |  | 
 | There are also 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.  | 
 | 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 is included, but without documentation.  You can find docs at | 
 | ftp://ftp.cwi.nl/pub/jack/python/img (or somewhere around there). | 
 |  | 
 | Finally there is a Mac:Contrib folder which contains some contributed | 
 | software. | 
 |  | 
 | 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 1.6a2 works as expected you can trash | 
 | anything in the system folder that has "python" in the name and not | 
 | "1.6a2". | 
 |  | 
 | The installer | 
 | ------------- | 
 |  | 
 | The installer for this product was created using Installer VISE | 
 | from MindVision Software. For more information on Installer VISE, | 
 | contact: | 
 | MindVision Software | 
 | 7201 North 7th Street | 
 | Lincoln, NE 68521-8913 | 
 | Voice: 402-477-3269 | 
 | Fax: 402-477-1395 | 
 | Internet: mindvision@mindvision.com | 
 | http://www.mindvision.com | 
 |  | 
 | Just van Rossum <just@letterror.nl> created the initial version of the | 
 | installer (with Installer Vise Lite), and Jack worked from there. | 
 |  | 
 | Thanks! | 
 | ------- | 
 |  | 
 | Thanks go to the whole Python community with Guido in the lead, of course. | 
 | Mac-specific thanks go to the pythonmac-sig, Just van Rossum, Corran Webster, | 
 | Erik van Blokland, Bill Bedford, Chris Stern, Gordon Worley, Oliver Steele, M. Papillon | 
 | and all the other people who provided feedback, code or both! | 
 |  | 
 | Feedback | 
 | -------- | 
 |  | 
 | Send bug reports, suggestions, contributions and fanmail to | 
 | <jack@cwi.nl>. However, 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 | 
 | Oratrix Development BV | 
 | Valeriusplein 30 | 
 | Amsterdam | 
 | the Netherlands | 
 |  | 
 | <jack@cwi.nl>, http://www.cwi.nl/~jack |