Mac Python Install - Can anyone help?

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

12/14/2007 08:11:25 PM · #1

As part of my failing attempt to switch to a Mac, I am trying to get Mac python setup with mysqldb. But I'm having a hell of a time.

Anyone with Mac python setup experience that would be willing to chat with me online or on the phone for 20 minutes or less (hopefully) to the get mysqldb library working?

...before I give up and install Windows Vista on it (which I'm pretty close to doing at this point...) :(

(Ok, not photography related, but this is a diverse, and helpful community!)

dacrazyrn

Nikon D300

12/14/2007 09:18:00 PM · #2

You running Leopard?
I am not sure what you are doing, but I have had MySQL and Apache2 (never use them now though-not sure if they still work on Leopard) and was able to set them up without any problems. They both end up needing System Preferences you have to calibrate.

Couple of things...i am sure you may have checked out already though.

//the.taoofmac.com/space/Python

//www.python.org/download/mac/ (has links to prebuilt stuff)

//www.cmlenz.net/blog/2007/10/python-on-leopa.html

//the.taoofmac.com/space/blog/2007/11/11/1922

//macresearch.org/scipy-leopard

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

12/15/2007 10:51:03 AM · #3

Thanks, there are some good links there. Yes, I am running Leopard.

I do have MySQL and Apache running just fine. And python's running. Just MySQLdb doesn't have a friendly installer, and I'm having trouble following the bits and pieces of advice I'm finding on the web.

I may just bag it for a while. I've got parallels running on the Mac, and so far, it's my favorite app ;) I installed Windows 2000 it runs really well on the Mac. I've actually just installed Apache and MySQL under MacWin2000 ;) and next I'll do my usual python Windows installs. We'll see how fast that runs until I find the right help or advice to get MySQLDB running under native mac.

It's pretty incredible how well Win2K runs as an "app" on the Mac! (I had a little problems with the WinXP install under Parallels, so I installed Win2K, and frankly, it's as good as WinXP to me.)

My mac is doing funny things though overall that I'm trying to ignore because I've wasted a lot of time trying to fix them.

Like on my account, but no others, my fonts don't display right in many windows and dialogs.

Look at the prompt in this Apple dialog:

[thumb]622585[/thumb]

I'm seeing this is a lot of places, and in many other places, I can see the bottoms of the text and descenders are "clipped" a bit. But I created a new account, and it was fine. I've tried everything I could try after searching for ideas on the web--even used time machine to restore all the old db/.plist (?) configuration files from a month ago (and then back again). Nothing helps.

dacrazyrn

Nikon D300

12/15/2007 11:24:38 AM · #4

Sure you been here too. Looks lik ethe step by step and downloads for Mac MySQL

//dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/mac-os-x-installation.html

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

12/15/2007 11:40:51 AM · #5

Originally posted by dacrazyrn:

Sure you been here too. Looks lik ethe step by step and downloads for Mac MySQL

//dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/mac-os-x-installation.html

Tracy--the install for Mac MySQL was as easy as it is on the PC. I just used MAMP (I use WAMP on the PC) and it installs PHP, MySQL, and Apache.

It's MySQLdb (a python library for mySQL) I can't get installed. Python itself was pretty easy (though it's confusing to configure, because I don't quite have my arms around the environment configurations necessary on the Mac, and I followed one website about pointing python to the right library, avoiding the Apple installed library).

Beyond the easy end-user mac apps, there's a completely different world installing developers tools on the Mac. I'm sure there are some easier ways than building everything the unix/linux way. (I just discovered DarwinPort, but after downloading it, and unwrapping the package, I failed even at the simplist task they told me to do, let it update itself:

MP:downloads Neil$ sudo port -d selfupdate
sudo: port: command not found

Here again, they've left out something in the instructions for unix neophytes.

I did get MySQLdb installed in about 2 seconds on the Parallels virtual machine where I have Win2K running. I just ran WAMP which installed MySQL and Apache, then ActiveState python, which installed everything including the very nice PythonWin environment, and then at last, the MySQLdb Win32 installer and it configured itself for Python24. Why can't it be that easy on the Mac :(

Mr_Pants

SiPix Blink

12/15/2007 02:05:02 PM · #6

Originally posted by nshapiro:

My mac is doing funny things though overall that I'm trying to ignore because I've wasted a lot of time trying to fix them.

That could be due to Leopard. I'm now regretting the upgrade, as I've had quite a few spurious application quits recently and it's annoying the hell out of me. Not too encouraging, I must say.

wavelength

Nikon D300

12/15/2007 03:16:56 PM · #7

I thought Leopard already had Python installed?

This page agrees with me: //www.cmlenz.net/blog/2007/10/python-on-leopa.html

Have you tried XAMPP?
Doesn't help with the python, but it gets you through Apache, MySQL, PHP, Perl, a FTP server and phpMyAdmin.

Does leopard use the pkgadd command to install packages? I'm mostly familiar with Solaris.

Message edited by author 2007-12-15 15:17:05.

12/15/2007 04:03:07 PM · #8

Originally posted by wavelength:

Yes, it includes python. But it's a 2 year old version--which isn't so terrible, except that it still doesn't include MySQLdb. That's not part of the python dist. And I believe it involves a c library which has to be built for the environment. Under windows, it's distributed prebuilt for Win32 which makes it easy as butter to install. (I just installed python and mysqldb under Win2k under Parallels for both version 2.3 and 2.4 in no time at all). Would have liked to see the speed of python and mysql under native Mac, but it's just taking me too much time that I don't have.

And again, I have no problem installing Python, MySQL, PHP, Apache, etc. because they all come with very nice installers, and when they don't, there's a third party app. I used MAMP, similar to XAMMP but doesn't include Perl (I think--I don't use Perl, so if it did, I wouldn't care ;))

Perhaps the problem too is there are so many flavors of unix out there, that you can't find a decent set of install instructions anywhere which apply to your platform. I installed DarwinPort, but couldn't use it. And the instructions I found did not point once to a correct location on my machine. None of the folders were there. Other folder were, but didn't correspond to the directions.

I guess I've led a sheltered life developing for, and under windows.

Message edited by author 2007-12-15 16:04:59.