[Matplotlib-users] problem importing pyplot/pylab on mac os x 10.4.11

[Karianne H. <kar...@as...>]

Hi,

I'm having trouble getting pyplot and pylab to work on my Mac v.10.4.11 
(Tiger). I've tried searching in both google and different macusers 
forums, but haven't found an answer to my problems. If I have overlooked a 
webpage please send me a link to the solution.

To download matplotlib I have downloaded the dmg package from the official 
matplotlib page
http://sourceforge.net/projects/matplotlib/files/matplotlib/matplotlib-1.0/http://sourceforge.net/projects/matplotlib/files/matplotlib/matplotlib-1.0/

and it seems to install fine. However, I cannot use neither pyplot nor 
pylab:

[kariannelap:~] karianne% python
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Feb 22 2008, 07:57:53)
[GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 5363)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import matplotlib as mpl
>>> import mpl.pyplot
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named mpl.pyplot
>>> import mpl.pylab
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named mpl.pylab
>>> import pylab
Bus error

I tried the clean rebuild and reinstall described on this page:

http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/faq/installing_faq.html#cleanly-rebuild-and-reinstall-everything

and re-installed without any change. So then I tried deleting all
matplotlib and pylab files and dirs and re-installed, again without
results. I also tried this installation method without success

easy_install matplotlib
Processing matplotlib
error: Not a recognized archive type: matplotlib

Some more info:

[kariannelap:~] karianne% uname -a
Darwin karianneholhjem.local 8.11.1 Darwin Kernel Version 8.11.1: Wed Oct 10 18:23:28 PDT 2007; root:xnu
-792.25.20~1/RELEASE_I386 i386 i386

[kariannelap:~] karianne% python -c 'import matplotlib; print 
matplotlib.__version__'
1.0.0

Regarding the matplotlibrc file I have tried both the default
backend      : TkAgg
as well as
backend      : WxAgg
since some webpages indicated that might be a problem.

Finally, I wrote a little script called bla.py

import matplotlib as mpl
import mpl.pyplot
import mpl.pylab

and ran it

[kariannelap:~] karianne% python bla.py --verbose-helpful
$HOME=/Users/karianne
CONFIGDIR=/Users/karianne/.matplotlib
matplotlib data path 
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/site-packages/matpl
otlib/mpl-data
loaded rc file 
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/site-packages/matplotlib/
mpl-data/matplotlibrc
matplotlib version 1.0.0
verbose.level helpful
interactive is False
units is False
platform is darwin
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "bla.py", line 2, in <module>
    import mpl.pyplot
ImportError: No module named mpl.pyplot

When commenting out line 2 in the scrip this is the output I got:
$HOME=/Users/karianne
CONFIGDIR=/Users/karianne/.matplotlib
matplotlib data path 
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/site-packages/matpl
otlib/mpl-data
loaded rc file 
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/site-packages/matplotlib/
mpl-data/matplotlibrc
matplotlib version 1.0.0
verbose.level helpful
interactive is False
units is False
platform is darwin
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "bla.py", line 3, in <module>
    import mpl.pylab
ImportError: No module named mpl.pylab

Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong or which files I should 
delete to make this work? I have had bad experiences with fink so I prefer 
not using it.

cheers,
Karianne