is mac good for python programming ?

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osx
python

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270

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+4 Q:

is mac good for python programming ?

I am programming a django based website. I actually use a small computer under Ubuntu 10.04. I would like to buy something more professional, so I am wondering whether an iMac is good for that, because :

Is there a free IDE as good as eclipse on MacOS ?
Is there a remote python debugger like pydev for eclipse ?
Is there some typical issues with python on MacOS ?
does apache+mod_wsgi works well on MacOS ?

+3 A:

All of the things you mentioned (Eclipse+plugins, Python, Apache, mod_wsgi) can run fine on OS X.

Amber 2010-06-20 16:47:05

That's an improvement - Eclipse was the only thing which could bring OS X down in the pre-intel days.

Pete Kirkham 2010-06-20 17:03:54

Eclipse ran on the Mac in the pre-Intel days.

JeremyP 2010-06-21 16:31:51

+3 A:

I usually develop with Python on OsX, so:

Eclipse is multiplatform, you can have it on OsX too.
I would not call pydev a python debugger, anyway you have it on Eclipse for Osx
You would have probably the same issues you had under Ubuntu (OsX it's Unix based)
Yes it works without problem

One thing i always recommend is to install macports; with macports installing Eclipse, different Python versions, apache, mod_wsgi is really easy.

systempuntoout 2010-06-20 16:53:36

I've never used Mac, but from what I heard Mac has never been a good development platform (not just for Python, but in all languages in general).

For one thing, the latest Mac OS X always ships with an outdated Python interpreter.

Lie Ryan 2010-06-20 16:55:14

Now that is quite the most argumentative thing I've read here for a long time.

Donal Fellows 2010-06-20 16:56:44

I totally disagree with the first. My primary development environment is MacOSX, and Linux is second.The latter is true, but you can install the newest version if you wish so.

jweyrich 2010-06-20 17:06:47

You know, it is possible to update the Python installation. I've always been partial to OS X for any kind of development work. The power/flexibility of Ubuntu/Unix and the ease of use of… well, OS X.

kubi 2010-06-20 17:07:48

So much misinformation in this

msarchet 2010-06-20 17:08:03

I found developing on Mac much more a pleasure than on every other platform. Guess there must be a reason why one always sees Macs in the google android videos. :-)

Eiko 2010-06-20 17:10:12

@Eiko: because those videos are targeted for iPhone users of course :-)

Lie Ryan 2010-06-20 17:17:29

@jweyrich,@kubi: having to update python installation to get the latest version contradicts with the perceived "ease of use". I'd probably agree about Mac's perceived "ease of use" as non-development platform; but Apple wasn't reknowned as being the most friendly towards developers (in fact, they are/were quite hostile towards their developers).

Lie Ryan 2010-06-20 17:25:38

@Lie: by "ease of use" you mean that every Linux distribution should come with the latest releases of every single package? Sorry, I still disagree. The update is few clicks away. On the hostile approach, if you refer to AppStore/etc, I agree, but that hasn't affected me in any way (yet). Additionally, IMO the dev environment has never been affected by that. Contradictorily, it gets better every day.

jweyrich 2010-06-20 17:31:24

@Lie Ryan: How is the mac "system python" issue *any different* than dealing with an Ubuntu package which may ALSO not be what you want. For 95% of what you want to do, the Python included with your OS is perfectly fine, and for the other 5% you have to install your own Python, no matter the platform.

Nick Bastin 2010-06-20 17:57:11

@Lie Ryan: Also, as a mac developer since long before MacOS X, I can tell you that Apple has *never* been hostile to its' developers. If you developed software the way Apple recommended, you always had the best-in-class tools and support, and if you didn't (like Adobe, etc.), you were on your own, which is hardly an unreasonable position. (Develop using Mingw on Win32 much? Think Microsoft should support that?)

Nick Bastin 2010-06-20 18:00:17

First off I want to say that I love macs, however in Java development it is really hard to get a *real java software development kit*. It took me hours to find the java WITH the source for the libraries (ie string class etc). Overall though Love mac. -1 for this answer.

sixtyfootersdude 2010-06-21 00:28:41

I like my Mac OS X development environment, but I still find myself coding in [`nano`](http://www.nano-editor.org/) editor in a terminal on my Linux box (and even sometimes on my Mac). IDEs are a big help but I find I don't really learn anything if I let the IDE autocomplete everything I do.

dreamlax 2010-06-21 00:43:08

+4 A:

Why do you consider iMac to be more or less professional than anything else? Hardware? System? Note: I'm myself a MacOSX and Linux user.

Unless it's a requisite, most times I'd say it's only a matter of personal taste.

As said by others earlier, everything you cited works fine on MacOSX.

However, you should consider the 3rd party libraries you're going to use with Python. I would cite a problem I had with MySQLdb (MySQL-python) on MacOSX, but it has been solved. You might face other problems in the way, but nothing that could stop you from using Django, Eclipse, etc.

jweyrich 2010-06-20 17:04:28

FWIW, mod_wsgi is developed on MacOS X. My experience in supporting users of mod_wsgi is however that MacPorts and fink are an absolute PITA. Specifically, trying to use Python and Apache from those third party systems usually causes nothing but hurt. This is based on problems encountered over the last couple of years. I haven't heard much lately though, so it may be the case that those systems have finally fixed up their 32/64 bit issues and Python build problems.

Graham Dumpleton 2010-06-21 00:20:18

ansaurus

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is mac good for python programming ?

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