| How to install Python 1.3 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 preferences" file from the Preferences folder, and possibly |
| "PythonCore" from the Extensions folder. |
| |
| 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. |
| |
| 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. I don't fully understand yet why the mac freezes instead of doing |
| something a little less drastic. |
| |
| PowerPC Macintosh instructions |
| ------------------------------ |
| |
| 1. Remove older versions of "PythonCore" and "Python Preferences" |
| from your system folder. |
| |
| 2. Run the MkPluginAliases applet. This will first ask you whether it should |
| create an initial preferences file. Let it do so. Next, it will create a |
| number of aliases in the PlugIns folder. If this fails in mysterious ways |
| try using the applescript in the PlugIns folder to create the aliases. |
| If that also fails: examine the script and create the aliases by hand |
| (and tell me what you did to make either of these two fail:-). |
| |
| 3. To make sure any applets you create can find the common interpreter code |
| you should move PythonCore to the Extensions folder (drop it on the |
| System Folder and it will find its own way). Alternatively, you can |
| make an alias called "PythonCore" in the Extensions folder and |
| point it to the real PythonCore. You may want to start PythonPPC |
| again at this point to check that you actually put the extension in |
| the right place. |
| |
| 4. You're all set now. Continue with the common instructions. |
| |
| 68K Macintosh instructions |
| -------------------------- |
| |
| 1. Remove old "Python Preferences" file from the Preferences folder, if you |
| have one (the file, that is, not the folder:-). |
| |
| 2. Run Python68K. This will create an initial preferences file (after |
| asking you if that's ok with you). Quit python. |
| |
| 3. Continue with the next section. |
| |
| 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 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 "liberal", you can remove stdwin and tkinter if |
| you don't use them, and Mac:Lib:... if you don't have a source distribution. |
| - RunLibScript allows you to run any script as __main__ after setting arguments, |
| changing stdin/stdout/workdir, etc. |
| - For PPC only, 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 "Read me files" folder. |
| |
| PPC users will see one more files in the python folder: PythonApplet. This is |
| the template for building applets, leave it alone. |
| |
| Things to see |
| ------------- |
| |
| There are some readme files in the "Read me files" folder that may contain |
| useful information. Especially the Relnotes-1.3 file contains some interesting |
| tidbits. |
| |
| 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 Tools folder has all the (automatically generated) interfaces to toolboxes |
| available, and some simple test programs. See the scripts mentioned above for how |
| to use them. NOTE: the organization of the toolbox stuff is likely to change, |
| maybe even before the real 1.3 distribution. Until that time you will have to |
| use addpack or imp to import these files in your program. |
| |
| 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). |
| |
| Feedback |
| -------- |
| |
| Send bug reports, suggestions, contributions and fanmail to <jack@cwi.nl>. |
| Be warned however that I'm pretty busy at the moment, so I may not always |
| respond immedeately. |
| 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 |