Hi Thomas,
It seems that you've cleanly killed the Apple-installed Python, which isn't too bad a thing after all. What I can suggest you do is this... Copy the entire /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework directory from someone and drop it into your system (same place of course). I will not suggest installing Python 2.4.1 until the Apple-installed Python is sorted out. My reasons being,
1. I have no idea what Mac OSX uses Python for. Although symlink may get you through most of the time but I cannot be sure that none of OSX's stuffs are hardcoded to use the Python in /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework.
2. Installing another Python may or may not be a precise remedy. It may just worsen things and I won't want to bet on that.
3. Apple-installed Python's command line tools are symlinked from /usr/bin to /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework but the OSX installer for Python 2.4.1 places the commandline tools in /usr/local/bin and symlinked to /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework. So it seems to me that Python 2.4.1 (installed using OSX installer for Python 2.4.1) is not a precise replacement of Apple-installed Python...
For me, my setup is this
ls -all /usr/bin/python*
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 14 4 Apr 08:40 /usr/bin/python -> /sw/bin/python
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 72 1 Apr 1976 /usr/bin/python2.3 -> ../../System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/bin/python
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 10 1 Apr 1976 /usr/bin/pythonw -> pythonw2.3
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 122 9 Jun 2003 /usr/bin/pythonw2.3
/usr/bin/pythonw2.3 and /usr/bin/python2.3 points to the same thing, /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/bin/python. And I have Fink's Python in /sw/bin/python.
So now, for me, if I need to use the Apple-installed Python, my command line is "pythonw" while "python" gives me Fink's Python as shown below:
~ mauriceling$ pythonw
Python 2.3 (#1, Sep 13 2003, 00:49:11)
[GCC 3.3 20030304 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 1495)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.path
['', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python23.zip', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/plat-darwin', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/plat-mac', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/plat-mac/lib-scriptpackages', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/lib-tk', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/lib-dynload', '/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/site-packages']
>>>
~ mauriceling$ python
Python 2.3.5 (#1, Apr 6 2005, 13:01:10)
[GCC 3.3 20030304 (Apple Computer, Inc. build 1671)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.path
['', '/sw/lib/python23.zip', '/sw/lib/python2.3', '/sw/lib/python2.3/plat-darwin', '/sw/lib/python2.3/plat-mac', '/sw/lib/python2.3/plat-mac/lib-scriptpackages', '/sw/lib/python2.3/lib-tk', '/sw/lib/python2.3/lib-dynload', '/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages', '/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/Numeric', '/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/libsbml', '/sw/lib/python2.3/site-packages/gtk-2.0']
>>>
There is no problem with having multiple versions and copies of Pythons in your system. The problems are:
1. get all the symlinks correct
2. know when to use what and how to use
3. means that you may have to install the same 3rd party library x-times for x-numbers of Pythons you might have... quite a pain...
Cheers Maurice
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