Re: [Visualpython-users] Make Mac Installer More Flexible?

[Kevin K. <ka...@so...>]

Seth Morton wrote:
 > I am trying to install VPython through Mac installer, and it is
 > telling me that I need to install the 32 bit Python from
 > Python.org.  The problem is, I already have a 32-bit Python
 > installed (using homebrew), but it's not installed where the
 > Python.org binary installer would install to.  As a result, VPython
 > is not detecting it.  I have also noticed this issue on systems
 > using the Enthought Python Distribution (which has separate 64 and
 > 32 bit Pythons as well), and I would imagine that Python from
 > MacPorts and Fink would have the same issue, but I've never tried
 > these.
 > 
 > Would it be possible to add a button to the installer that says "I
 > know what I'm doing" to bypass the need for the Python.org
 > installation?  Or, better yet, if VPython does not detect the
 > 32-bit Python from Python.org, ask the user to give the path of
 > their 32-bit installation to verify that VPython will work.

I found it sufficient to run vpython programs with

	arch -i386 python foo.py
or 	arch -32bit python foo.py

(depending which version of OS X I had).  It seems that the recent
Python installations do both 32bit and 64bit installations, so can be
specified on the command line.

Of course, long term, Vpython will have to move away from the
32-bit-only implementation on Macs, or it will become unusable.