How to properly install matplotlib on mac 10.7.5? And why is the command "conda" not found after Anaconda is successfully installed?

Question

I tried for a long time to work with python on this Mac. I tried to remove python completely from my mac. Then I realized it was hard to get rid of this default python. Fortunately, I read in the internet that it's a bad idea to remove that one python that come with Mac before I figured out how to remove it. Then I also installed python, numpy, scipy, matplotlib using *.dmg packages. After all the effort, I still get this error message every time I import pylab. Please help me? Anyone?

$python

Python 2.7.4 (v2.7.4:026ee0057e2d, Apr  6 2013, 11:43:10) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5666) (dot 3)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import pylab


Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/pylab.py", line 1, in <module>
  from matplotlib.pylab import *
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/pylab.py", line 221, in <module>
 `from matplotlib import mpl  # pulls in most modules
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/mpl.py", line 2, in <module>
 `from matplotlib import axis
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/axis.py", line 14, in <module>
 `import matplotlib.text as mtext
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/text.py", line 31, in <module>
 `from matplotlib.backend_bases import RendererBase
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/backend_bases.py", line 48, in <module>
 `import matplotlib.textpath as textpath
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/textpath.py", line 9, in <module>
 `from matplotlib.mathtext import MathTextParser
File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/mathtext.py", line 52, in <module>
 `import matplotlib._png as _png
ImportError: dlopen(/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/_png.so, 2): Library not loaded: /opt/local/lib/libpng14.14.dylib
Referenced from: /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.1.0-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/matplotlib/_png.so
Reason: image not found

Besides, I followed the instruction on http://ipython.org/install.html to install Anaconda. After Anaconda is installed I went to the next step

$ conda update conda

and got this

"-bash: conda: command not found"

I searched in the net, but it seems no one else has this problem. Can anyone give me a hint here? Many thanks!

---

In my directory /usr/bin I have

python python-config python2.5 python2.5-config python2.6 python2.6-config python2.7 python2.7-config

With command which python

I got /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python

with which ipython

I got /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/ipython

For numpy I downloaded the package numpy-1.7.0-py2.7-python.org-macosx10.6.dmg, scipy-0.12.0-py2.7-python.org-macosx10.6.dmg for scipy, and matplotlib-1.2.0-py2.7-python.org-macosx10.6.dmg for matplotbib.I downloaded *10.6.dmg because that's what I found...I can not find something like *10.7.dmg

I don't have .bashrc or .bashrc_profile. But I think .profile will do, and it reads like this

# MacPorts Installer addition on 2012-03-07_at_18:55:26: adding an appropriate PATH variable for use with MacPorts.
export PATH=/opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:$PATH
# Finished adapting your PATH environment variable for use with MacPorts.
export TERM="xterm-color"
alias ls="ls -G"
export PS1="[\[\e[33m\]\u@\H \[\e[32m\]\w\[\e[0m\]]\n[\[\e[31m\]\!\[\e[0m\]] > "
# Setting PATH for Python 2.7
# The orginal version is saved in .profile.pysave
PATH="/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin:${PATH}"
export PATH

When I type in

$port

it says -bash: port: command not found Should that worry me? Shall I also out comment the line

export PATH=/opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:$PATH

as well?

Answer 1

You appear to have MacPorts. Perhaps you can use MacPorts to install the Python of your choice, and then use the corresponding pip (probably /opt/local/bin/pip to install the necessary Python packages.

If MacPorts is something you're not using anymore, I suggest to use homebrew instead: http://mxcl.github.io/homebrew/ . Pay attention to the message you get after installing Python: it tells you that some Python scripts will be installed in /usr/local/share/python. In your case, this may not be an issue (the packages you listed don't install Python scripts afaik).

Keep in mind that using homebrew and MacPorts together may still mess with Python and its packages.

Finally, you need to make sure you don't keep on using the other python executable. Therefore, in your .profile, comment out the last two lines like this:

#PATH="/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin:${PATH}"
#export PATH

Update Then, to get rid of the MacPorts reference and ensure your PATH picks up /usr/local/bin, change your .profile further to

# MacPorts Installer addition on 2012-03-07_at_18:55:26: adding an appropriate PATH variable for use with MacPorts.
#export PATH=/opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:$PATH    # <- comment out
# Set /usr/local/bin explicitly for Homebrew
export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH

Start in a new Terminal (or tab) to have your settings updated.