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1

While trying to build my python by adding numpy to it I managed to have created problems somewhere. Now, even though I have numpy and other packages like BeautifulSoup installed, I'm unable to import them from within my mac's default python. Previously I was able to import them.

Where should I be initially looking that the potential problem likely is? My bash profile? .profile? Somewhere in python? Any help would be appreciated. I'm very new to installing packages as well as path variables so any guidance on which direction the error likely is would be helpful.

EDIT

After following John Keyes' advice and printing python's path this was the result:

['', '/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/pip-1.0.2-py2.7.egg', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python27.zip', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/plat-darwin', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/plat-mac', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/plat-mac/lib-scriptpackages', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-tk', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-old', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload', '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages', '/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages', '/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.7.egg-info']

Should these paths include my installed packages (such as numpy and beautiful soup) listed?

EDIT 2

This is my bash profile. From the comments on my question it seems like these may be th eissue, so I thought I'd include them below. How can I change them so that my python build will go back to installing things in the right place?

export PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/share/python:/usr/local/sbin:$PATH


# Setting PATH for Python 2.7
# The orginal version is saved in .bash_profile.pysave
PATH="/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin:${PATH}"
export PATH
share|improve this question
2  
You could run python -c "import sys; print sys.path" which will print each path where python finds it's available packages and modules. –  John Keyes Oct 10 '11 at 11:55
    
Thanks, I've done this and updated my question with the data from it. –  Kevin Oct 10 '11 at 11:59
1  
Now have a look in /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages and you will see what packages have been installed. –  John Keyes Oct 10 '11 at 12:49
    
Sorry if this is a silly question. How do I look within these folder's precisely to check where my packages are? –  Kevin Oct 12 '11 at 17:50
1  
If you open the one I mention above (site-packages) you should see what additional packages you've added to the python installation. You can do this via the Finder (open a Terminal and type open <DIR>) or directly in the Terminal (cd <DIR>; ls -l). –  John Keyes Oct 12 '11 at 20:06

1 Answer 1

up vote 1 down vote accepted

As I understand you have build a custom python which is not same with your default python installation.

You should either use the newly installed python or specify the path of numpy to the default installation. There are 2 ways of doing the second choice:

Asume that your numpy module is located at /Users/Me/python/modules directory.

  1. Set an environment variable for external modules from commandline:

    setenv PYTHONPATH /Users/Me/python/modules

    To make this permanent for your user you could add this line to your .bashrc file.

  2. In your code you could add the same directory to your path:

    import sys
sys.path.append('/Users/Me/python/modules')
import numpy
...

I hope this will help.

share|improve this answer
    
I haven't built a new python. i'm still using the default apple provided python. Are there any reasons I shouldn't use the default installation? If I follow your first step, will it make all of my libraries go into that folder? Will they then all work with my default python? –  Kevin Oct 11 '11 at 11:39
1  
There may be some reasons to build a new python but in your case it's not necessary. The environment variable PYTHONPATH points extra python module paths, and you should not put all your modules there. The modules in the path specified will work like default modules. –  scriptmonster Oct 11 '11 at 13:21
    
That makes sense. Before/after I run this on my commandline, do I need to do anything about my current bash profile settings? –  Kevin Oct 12 '11 at 17:49
1  
setenv command will be effective on the current session only, if you add this command in some users' bash profile it would become permanent just like any other environmental variable. If you do so you don't need to run that command everytime. –  scriptmonster Oct 13 '11 at 14:41

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