PIL (Python Imaging Library) habit is difficult to let go. And well a Mac is a Mac. Follow these steps to get PIL up and running on your Mac.
- Install fink. fink = an apt-get like (ditto?) package manager for your Mac. apt-get also gets installed along with it. Just google for fink and you will find its dmg image on sourceforge. Installation is simple point and click.
- Configure fink by issuing the command
fink configure
It will ask you couple of easy questions. Bear with the thing. If you use a proxy to connect to the internet its necessary to specify it during this configuration procedure. *IMPORTANT*: Write fully qualified name of the proxy (with the protocol). For e.g.http://proxy.ncbs.res.in
I had dropped the protocol during my initial configuration and fink failed to connect to internet. I wish fink architects had arranged so that the proxy config defaults to http protocol. Newayz. Now you know! - Then issue this command
apt-get install pil-py23
This command will install all the necessary dependencies along with PIL. May take a while depending on your net connection speed. - Test your installation by
python2.3
import Image
P.S.: Looks like PIL is currently available only for python2.3. You might wanna consider symlinking python2.3==>python in your /usr/bin. I am undecided for my Mac mini shipped with a python2.5. And I hate putting that extra "2.3" to launch the interpreter. What life !
P.P.S: Thank me. And then thank Raj who egged me on to blog this.
