Mac: Error importing scikits while it has been installed

Question

I installed the scikits package but can't import it, I am on Macbook, please let me know what is missing here

bash-3.2$ sudo port install py26-scikits-learn
--->  Computing dependencies for py26-scikits-learn
--->  Fetching archive for py26-scikits-learn
--->  Attempting to fetch py26-scikits-learn-0.8_0.darwin_10.x86_64.tbz2 from http://packages.macports.org/py26-scikits-learn
--->  Fetching py26-scikits-learn
--->  Verifying checksum(s) for py26-scikits-learn
--->  Extracting py26-scikits-learn
--->  Configuring py26-scikits-learn
--->  Building py26-scikits-learn
--->  Staging py26-scikits-learn into destroot
--->  Installing py26-scikits-learn @0.8_0
--->  Activating py26-scikits-learn @0.8_0
--->  Cleaning py26-scikits-learn
bash-3.2$ python -c "import scikits.learn as skl; skl.test()"
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named scikits.learn

FIXED How do I uninstall python from OSX Leopard so that I can use the MacPorts version?

Answer 1

Unfortunately I don't know how port commnad works (I guess it comes from MacPorts) but you should use Python to maintain Python packages (which is encouraged eg. by homebrew). You can try pip:

sudo pip install scikits.learn

In OS X Lion default version of Python is 2.7, if you want to use 2.6 you have to:

sudo python2.6 pip install scikits.learn

(Python keeps separate packages for every version)

You can browse all packages available via pip (or easy_install) using pypi or search it with

pip searh foo

If you are afraid of cluttering you system please give a try virtualenvwrapper.