Quick Start

From OS X Scientific Computing

Need to get up and running as quickly as possible?

Don't have time for lots of reading?

Just do the following (both ppc and intel):

1 Install Apple's Xcode
2 Install Apple's X11
3 Install Fink

Install Apple's Xcode

Apple distributes Xcode 3.0 with OS X 10.5, which as of December 18, 2007, is current. You should install this with 10.5.x.

For older versions of OS X, if you don't have access to the installer DVD, or to see if anything newer than Xcode 3.0 is available, go to Apple's website, register, and download the latest Xcode (v. 3.0 for 10.5.x and v. 2.5 for 10.4.x as of this writing) and install it. Install everything, not just the defaults. Be sure to install X11 SDK (it should do so by default for these versions of Xcode).

Apple's Xcode free download site
More details on this wiki.

Install Apple's X11

The version of X11 that is distributed on the 10.5.0 install disk is obsolete (and buggy). Please install the latest version, but make sure you have updated OS X to the latest revision first. Then ...

Download Apple's latest X11.app for 10.5.X .
Please visit our X11 wiki page for more details.

On OS X 10.5.x, this is a default install, but on 10.4.x, it is a non-default install.

Install Fink

Fink download page
Our Fink wiki page

Binary installer for 10.4 or 10.5

Go to the Fink quick start page and install the binary installer, or do a Fink Manual Install.

Using "Unstable" packages

If you need a lot of packages from the unstable branch of fink (you probably will), here is How to Activate the Unstable Branch in fink. Now is a good time to do this. To do so, edit the file /sw/etc/fink.conf and add the final two entries to the line "Trees" so that it looks like this:

Trees: local/main stable/main stable/crypto unstable/main unstable/crypto

Update everything to the most current distribution

Then immediately update it by typing the following commands in a new terminal window:

fink index
fink selfupdate-rsync
fink update-all
fink scanpackages

This will make sure you have the most up to date database base fink packages, even if this means you have to compile some yourself. It will save you huge headaches to do all three now. The second line and the third line are commands you will use to keep fink updated. I recommend issuing them at least once a week.

(You might want, in addition, to install MacPorts. Even if you install MacPorts, I suggest you also keep and use fink, as it is currently better suited for scientific work. The two peacefully coexist.)

More details are available on this wiki.