How do I get RTcmix to work on my Macintosh with Python (PYCMIX) under 
MacOS X 10.2.x?

OS X 10.2 comes with a python built already in /usr/bin, but this 
python is almost entirely useless. There is also the MacPython build 
from Jack Jansen ( http://homepages.cwi.nl/~jack/macpython/ ).

Mac Python is wonderful and has so many wonderful things and is getting 
better all the time. It has a nice package manager, launcher, and the 
IDE, The Package manager is very cool and allows you to get the 
readlines module and numpy, pyobjc, PIL, OpenGL, etc. and lots of other 
packages installed very easily. Plus other Mac-centric stuff...

But the problem is that you can't build Cmix to work with this as Cmix 
needs to link to a static library directly and MacPython is a framework 
build that uses distutils.

So the solution is to build your own Python for use with Cmix. This is 
actually pretty simple to do, but it you ant to make sure that you 
don't overwrite your MacPython install (if you are like me you want to 
use both) you can do the following...

-- For OS X 10.2, Python 2.3.3 --

IMPORTANT: You will have to have the Developer Tools installed and you 
will need to have an admin account.

1. Obviously, you need to go to http://www.python.org/ and grab the 
source code. I put this in /usr/local/src and unpack it there. If this 
directory doesn't exist make it first, likely you will have a 
/usr/local already, though you may not have a /usr/local/src/

2. While you are at it download the cmix source and also put that in 
/usr/local/src

If you unpack them (with stuffit or whatever) you will have 
/usr/local/src/Python-2.3.3 and /usr/local/src/RTcmix directories.

3. At this point you will need to decide where to put your Python 
build. You don't just want to build it becauase the default is 
/usr/local/bin and you may already have your beloved MacPython there. 
So choose something reasonable. I decided to make a new python 
directory in /usr/local so I now have a /usr/local/python/ directory 
that is going to be the home for the Python that I will use with Cmix.

Now, cd to /usr/local/src/Python-2.3.3 and type (don't type % that is 
the symbol for your prompt):

% ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/python/

Unless, of course, you have chosen another place to put your Python and 
use that path. This will take a minute or two. Now:

% su root

(and enter your admin/root passwd) and then:

% make install

This will cook a while, so go have coffee or something.... When it is 
done you want to do a:

% make clean

and then a:

% make test

Some tests may fail. The /usr/local/src/Python-2.3.3/README explains 
why. Apparently this is no big deal. Just snub it... This also cranks a 
good long time so, you might wanna put dinner on. If you are one of 
those types who never stops and asks directions and is always 100% 
confident of everything you do you could just skip the test.

You should now have a new Python that works. Now you have to perform 
the glorious Python & RTcmix consummation...

Open your /usr/local/src/RTcmix/makefile.conf in a text editor and on 
line 4, Where it says:

# The directory containing the RTcmix directory
TOPDIR = /usr/local/src

change it to the directory you chose for RTcmix ("/usr/local/src" is 
the recommended place).

Next, on starting on line 22, where it says:

# Which platform?
#ARCH = LINUX
ARCH = MACOSX
#ARCH = SGI
#ARCH = FREEBSD

comment (add a "#") and uncomment (remove the "#") to choose your OS 
(here we want MacOS X).

Then, on line 41 uncomment the line that says:
PYTHON_SUPPORT = TRUE

Also on line 44 edit your PYTHON = /usr/local/bin/python line and make 
it point to out new Python build, which in my case is:

PYTHON = /usr/local/python/python

Now save the makefile.conf

Finally on line 22 of the 
/usr/local/src/RTcmix/insts.base/MIX/Makefile, change this line:

LIBPYTHON = `python $(CMIXDIR)/Python/print_libpython.py`

to this:

LIBPYTHON = `$(PYTHON) $(CMIXDIR)/Python/print_libpython.py`

now save and cd back to the /usr/local/src/RTcmix/ directory and build 
cmix by typing:

% make; make install

You can test PYCMIX by issuing the following commmands:

       % cd /usr/local/src/RTcmix/docs/sample_scos_python/
       % /usr/local/src/RTcmix/bin/PYCMIX < LONGCHAIN_1.py

That's it, you are good to go. Go write some music.

P.S.  You might also want to download and install gnuplot and
aquaterm.

For gnuplot (gnuplot-3.8j.0), just download the source from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gnuplot/
unpack and do config make install dance as below.

% ./configure
% su root
% make install

and with aquaterm (aquaterm-0.3.2.tar.gz) which is at:
http://aquaterm.sourceforge.net/ , simply download, unpack
and the Drag AquaTerm.app to /Applications or ~/Applications
There is nothing to build --just plug and chug.