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):

Install Apple's Xcode

Apple distributes Xcode with OS X 10.6 and 10.5, but newer versions are typically available from Apple's website. Register (free) and download the latest version of Xcode compatible with your version of OS X.

Install everything, not just the defaults. On older versions, be sure to install X11 SDK (it should do so by default for recent versions of Xcode).

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

Install Apple's X11

The version of X11 distributed and installed by default on 10.6.X is what you should use if you have 10.6.X.

The version of X11 that is distributed on the 10.5.0 install disk is obsolete (and buggy).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 . Don't install 2.4.0 if you want to compile something on 10.5 and then use it on 10.6. Instead, stick with the older 2.3.3 or earlier.
• Please visit our X11 wiki page for more details.

On OS X 10.5 and later, X11 is a default install, but on 10.4.x, it is a non-default install. OS X 10.6.X installs X11.app 2.3.3 (roughly).

Install Fink

Installing Fink on 10.6 A binary installer is not yet available.

Installing Fink on 10.5 and earlier Binary installers are available on the Fink download page

• Fink download page
• Our Fink wiki page