Recommended Python for MacOS 9

No. We actually do use it here under SUN Sunix, but we have compiled and linked it only for our antique font development environment, which runs under SUNOS 4.14. I have tried to get it going under a more recent SUN UNIX, but ran into problems getting Python to compile in the local environment, and had to give it up due to lack of time.

I heard back from the author of the Macintosh port of Python. Jack attributes the problem to the Tkinter stuff.

So, I guess I will use the MacOS X version of the tools. Speaking of using a command line interface, is it possible to get the FDK for Solaris 8 or 9?

Thanks,

Tom

I did a little more testing and have found that the crash is occuring in the Tkinter shared lib. (or that is what MAcsBug tells me). Moreover, the problem goes away if I disable CarbonLib (version 1.6). At this point, I think it is a problem with Pythin 2.2.2 and I will contact the author of the Mac port of Python.

Thanks for all of the input!

Regards,

Tom

I really think this is tied to the G4 processor.

The reason I think this is that on a G3 processor with MacOS 9.2.2 and Python 2.2.2, I have no problems. I do not get (a) truncated log files, and (b) I do not crash when trying to copy test from the Pythn interpreter window.

I will try it out on a colleague's desktop G4 tomorrow morning and see if it a problem with the specific hardware in my laptop...

Regards,

Tom

Tom,
I got your files and tried to reproduce the bug but the font was created properly and I couldn't reproduce the crash.

This suggests that it might be something about the interaction between Python and that version of the OS since I couldn't reproduce the OS version part of the equation.

I'll see if I can get myself a OS 9.2.2 system to try it out on...

Antoine

Adam,

I tried 2.2.1 and still the same problem.

Tom

Tom,
try installing 2.2.1 instead of 2.2.2. It was my experience that sometimes, things work better with one version "before". For example yesterday, I noticed that the Boa GUI editor crashes with wxPython 2.4.0.2 but works OK with 2.4.0.1.
Adam

Hi Antoine,

I will send the data files tomorrow.

Here is what I have found: the FDK shared libs cannot be dynaloaded by Python 2.1.1 because they were compiled with Python 2.2.2. So using an earlier version of Python doesn't work. Also, the .pth files are not picked up by Python 2.1.1 -- I had to add them by hand in the configuration editor, but that is moot anyway because of the dynaloader problem.

The crashing problems went away with Python 2.2.2 on MacOS 9.2.2 on an older B&W G3, so I suspect there might be an odd issue with Python 2.2.2 on G4 processor. Just a guess. It could be an odd issue with whatever extesnions I have installed. I did install the "classic" Python and not the CarbonLib Python, because I needed the Tk libraries, which, as far as I know, have not been Carbon compiled for Python.

Perhaps Just van Rossum would know an answer to this... Just, you on this forum? Have you seen weird crashes of the Python 2.2.2 interpreter when it is run on a G4?

Regards,

Tom

Python 2.2.2 should be fine but I'm still running OS9.1 but it should be causing problems that bad.

Can you send me the source data to apicard@adobe.com.

I promise to delete it after I run the test.