diff --git a/CourseNotes/GetPython.ipynb b/CourseNotes/GetPython.ipynb new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..883313fecc9b714ed823db359533502be32be755 --- /dev/null +++ b/CourseNotes/GetPython.ipynb @@ -0,0 +1,109 @@ +{ + "cells": [ + { + "cell_type": "markdown", + "metadata": {}, + "source": [ + "This pages gives recipes on how to get  working on your own machine. It\n", + "is a based on *best effort* local experience and comes with no support.\n", + "\n", + "While we encourage you to get  working on your own machine and *play*,\n", + "remember that we will **only** marks checkpoints on the CPLab machines\n", + "and not your own laptops.\n", + "\n", + "You must transfer any code to the CPLab system (by USB Key or e-mail),\n", + "and make sure it works there before getting it marked.\n", + "\n", + "The best supported and comprehensive  environments is currently Anaconda\n", + "\n", + "This is free to download and install for *Windows* *Mac* or *Linux*.\n", + "This inclues a full  3.7 kit, the IDE *Spyder* and all the additional\n", + "libraries to could even want. It also includes *Juypter* and\n", + "*Juypter-Lab* and *VS Code* which you will not need in this course.\n", + "\n", + "The download and install is fully doumented in the above and should\n", + "basically *just work*. The download is very large and expands to a\n", + "couple of couple of GByte, but this is well with the capability of most\n", + "modern laptops / desktops.\n", + "\n", + "For *Windows* or *Mac* user we strongly recommend the *Spyder*\n", + "development environment; this given an editor to edit code and a console\n", + "to run code, this is actually a *IPython* console, but if you just *run*\n", + "it will work. *Spyder* also reads and write files is standard text so\n", + "you can easily transfer to/from CPLab with USB key.\n", + "\n", + "The *Spyder* environment has also been installed on the CPLab, but at\n", + "the moment it is still being developed, so it not recommended yet.\n", + "\n", + "The Mac is fundamentally a Unix machine, so you can tailor it to looks\n", + "very much like the CPLab Linux machines. Do do this you have t do the\n", + "following:\n", + "\n", + "## Install the X11 environment\n", + "\n", + "This is not installed by default, but is a free download from the Mac\n", + "Store and will autoinstall.\n", + "\n", + "- In the Finder select Applications $\\rightarrow$ Utilities\n", + " $\\rightarrow$ X11. \n", + " If this is installed it will start, if not it will take you to the\n", + " Apple Store and will take you through the install, this is a large\n", + " install as it includes other programming development tools.\n", + "\n", + "- This is needed to display the Matlibplot graphics and it also gives\n", + " you an *xterminal* which is just about identical to the terminal on\n", + " the CPLab machines. You start this click on the X11 logo in the\n", + " Toobar, then Aplication $\\rightarrow$ Terminal in the topbar.\n", + "\n", + "X11 is needed for all the orther free Unix utilities you may also wish\n", + "to install, for example XMGrace, xfig, gnuplot. You will find there on\n", + "your favourite download site.\n", + "\n", + "## Installing an Editor\n", + "\n", + "The default version of emacs in the Mac is *very limited* and only works\n", + "within the terminal window, so you will want to install something\n", + "*better*. Here you have choice…\n", + "\n", + "Emacs for X11: This gives you the same emacs as on the CPLab.\n", + "\n", + "- Download from for example [a](http://emacsformacosx.com/)s a dmg and\n", + " do the install.\n", + "\n", + "Emacs for Aqua: This gives you emacs but running via the Mac OSX own\n", + "window system (Aqua), rather than X11.\n", + "\n", + "- Download from [.](http://aquamacs.org/)\n", + "\n", + "To run either of these select them from the Applications or Launchpad\n", + "screen and then Open File. If you want to run from the terminal as you\n", + "do in the CPlab, you will have to learn about `.bachrc` files and\n", + "`alias`, ask if you want to go there.\n", + "\n", + "Other Editors There are *many* other editors, play, talk to friends etc;\n", + "but remember some require *real money* or have limited *free trial*\n", + "periods after which you have to pay!\n", + "\n", + "A useful alternative is Xcode which is the full Apple development\n", + "environment which is free to download from the Mac Store. It is *huge*\n", + "and really designed to develop apps for *iPad*, *iPhone*, *iWatch* etc,\n", + "but it will also work as a simple  editor. xCode is however very\n", + "resource intensive and it only really works on a new fast Mac with lots\n", + "of memory, it also takes up about 3 Gbyte of disc!\n", + "\n", + "If you are already running Linux on your own machine then you already\n", + "have everything to need, or can simply add it with what ever package\n", + "manager come with your distribution. Here you also have an almost\n", + "infinite choice of editors, but again most people will want to\n", + "`emacs-X11` on their system.\n", + "\n", + "Note that some Linux distributions that follow the newest updates are\n", + "now using as the default, for example Fedora, but if you are that close\n", + "to the *bleeding*-edge you will already know this !" + ] + } + ], + "nbformat": 4, + "nbformat_minor": 5, + "metadata": {} +}