Re: [Matplotlib-users] installing matplotlib on mac os X with the *.dmg file

[Felix P. <fe...@ne...>]

The dmg you are referring to appears to install to /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages (The main library, not the one for in our user directory). Most likely, this directory is not in pythons search path. Therefore, python can't find any modules installed there. To verify this, first check, whether this directory exists. Then start ipython and enter:
	
	from sys import path
	path

Path is a list of all paths which are searched for installed modules. If my suspicion is correct, the directory where you installed matplotlib is not in the list. You can just add it 
	
path.append('/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages') 

and then import matplotlib. However, you have add it to your path again every time you start a new session. To add it permanently, put an otherwise empty text file which includes the path and place it in one of the directories that are already on the search path. You have add a .pth suffix to this text file when you save it.

Best,
Felix

ps: There are many ways to install python and packages and all are more complicated to what you are used to from the mac - welcome to the world of unix / linux software... Still, I have been successful using either macports (slow, but reliable) as well as distribute and pip. I recommend macports which creates a new installation for everything you want / need in /opt. It can also install all of the ipython optional dependencies like the qtconsole and the notebook which cannot be done using pure python package managers.

Am 17.08.2012 um 23:30 schrieb Timothy Duly:

> Hi,
> 
> I'm having trouble installing matplotlib on mac os x.  I downloaded the dmg file (matplotlib-1.1.1-py2.7-python.org-macosx10.6.dmg) from http://sourceforge.net/projects/matplotlib/files/matplotlib/matplotlib-1.1.1/ . I was able to install this package.  Beforehand, I installed python from python.org (I read about the need to do this rather than use the shipped python for mac os x).  So, the original python is in /usr/bin/python and the other, newer one, is in /usr/local/bin/python.
> 
> However, after running "ipython -pylab", I get an error message:
> 
> Python 2.7.1 (r271:86832, Aug  5 2011, 03:30:24) 
> Type "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
> 
> IPython 0.13 -- An enhanced Interactive Python.
> ?         -> Introduction and overview of IPython's features.
> %quickref -> Quick reference.
> help      -> Python's own help system.
> object?   -> Details about 'object', use 'object??' for extra details.
> [TerminalIPythonApp] GUI event loop or pylab initialization failed
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ImportError                               Traceback (most recent call last)
> /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/ipython-0.13-py2.7.egg/IPython/core/pylabtools.pyc in find_gui_and_backend(gui)
>     194     """
>     195 
> --> 196     import matplotlib
>     197 
>     198     if gui and gui != 'auto':
> 
> ImportError: No module named matplotlib
> 
> It seems that I don't have a module-- but I just installed it?
> 
> Side note:  I've read to the best of my ability this page here, http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/faq/installing_faq.html#os-x-notes , but there seems to be a disconnect on this page between the actual installation procedure.  For example, no where on this page does it mention about a *.dmg file, yet the sourceforge site has the *.dmg file.  And this help site mentions *.zip files, but this time the sourceforge download page does not have any *.zip files!  What is going on here?  
> 
> Thanks,
> Tim
> 
> 
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