What is the most compatible way to install python modules on a Mac?

The most popular way to manage python packages (if you're not using your system package manager) is to use setuptools and easy_install. It is probably already installed on your system. Use it like this:

easy_install django

easy_install uses the Python Package Index which is an amazing resource for python developers. Have a look around to see what packages are available.

A better option is pip, which is gaining traction, as it attempts to fix a lot of the problems associated with easy_install. Pip uses the same package repository as easy_install, it just works better. Really the only time use need to use easy_install is for this command:

easy_install pip

After that, use:

pip install django

At some point you will probably want to learn a bit about virtualenv. If you do a lot of python development on projects with conflicting package requirements, virtualenv is a godsend. It will allow you to have completely different versions of various packages, and switch between them easily depending your needs.

Regarding which python to use, sticking with Apple's python will give you the least headaches, but If you need a newer version (Leopard is 2.5.1 I believe), I would go with the macports python 2.6.

Please see Python OS X development environment. The best way is to use MacPorts. Download and install MacPorts, then install Python via MacPorts by typing the following commands in the Terminal:

sudo port install python26 python_select
sudo port select --set python python26

OR

sudo port install python30 python_select
sudo port select --set python python30

Use the first set of commands to install Python 2.6 and the second set to install Python 3.0. Then use:

sudo port install py26-packagename

OR

sudo port install py30-packagename

In the above commands, replace packagename with the name of the package, for example:

sudo port install py26-setuptools

These commands will automatically install the package (and its dependencies) for the given Python version.

For a full list of available packages for Python, type:

port list | grep py26-

OR

port list | grep py30-

Which command you use depends on which version of Python you chose to install.

I use MacPorts to install Python and any third-party modules tracked by MacPorts into /opt/local, and I install any manually installed modules (those not in the MacPorts repository) into /usr/local, and this has never caused any problems. I think you may be confused as to the use of certain MacPorts scripts and environment variables.

MacPorts python_select is used to select the "current" version of Python, but it has nothing to do with modules. This allows you to, e.g., install both Python 2.5 and Python 2.6 using MacPorts, and switch between installs.

The $PATH environment variables does not affect what Python modules are loaded. $PYTHONPATH is what you are looking for. $PYTHONPATH should point to directories containing Python modules you want to load. In my case, my $PYTHONPATH variable contains /usr/local/lib/python26/site-packages. If you use MacPorts' Python, it sets up the other proper directories for you, so you only need to add additional paths to $PYTHONPATH. But again, $PATH isn't used at all when Python searches for modules you have installed.

$PATH is used to find executables, so if you install MacPorts' Python, make sure /opt/local/bin is in your $PATH.

There's nothing wrong with using a MacPorts Python installation. If you are installing python modules from MacPorts but then not seeing them, that likely means you are not invoking the MacPorts python you installed to. In a terminal shell, you can use absolute paths to invoke the various Pythons that may be installed. For example:

$ /usr/bin/python2.5         # Apple-supplied 2.5 (Leopard)
$ /opt/local/bin/python2.5   # MacPorts 2.5
$ /opt/local/bin/python2.6   # MacPorts 2.6
$ /usr/local/bin/python2.6   # python.org (MacPython) 2.6
$ /usr/local/bin/python3.1   # python.org (MacPython) 3.1

To get the right python by default requires ensuring your shell $PATH is set properly to ensure that the right executable is found first. Another solution is to define shell aliases to the various pythons.

A python.org (MacPython) installation is fine, too, as others have suggested. easy_install can help but, again, because each Python instance may have its own easy_install command, make sure you are invoking the right easy_install.

If you use Python from MacPorts, it has it's own easy_install located at: /opt/local/bin/easy_install-2.6 (for py26, that is). It's not the same one as simply calling easy_install directly, even if you used python_select to change your default python command.

Have you looked into easy_install at all? It won't synchronize your macports or anything like that, but it will automatically download the latest package and all necessary dependencies, i.e.

easy_install nose

for the nose unit testing package, or

easy_install trac

for the trac bug tracker.

There's a bit more information on their EasyInstall page too.

When you install modules with MacPorts, it does not go into Apple's version of Python. Instead those modules are installed onto the MacPorts version of Python selected.

You can change which version of Python is used by default using a mac port called python_select. instructions here.

Also, there's easy_install. Which will use python to install python modules.

Regarding which python version to use, Mac OS usually ships an old version of python. It's a good idea to upgrade to a newer version. You can download a .dmg from http://www.python.org/download/ . If you do that, remember to update the path. You can find the exact commands here http://farmdev.com/thoughts/66/python-3-0-on-mac-os-x-alongside-2-6-2-5-etc-/

I use easy_install with Apple's Python, and it works like a charm.

Directly install one of the fink packages (Django 1.6 as of 2013-Nov)

fink install django-py27
fink install django-py33

Or create yourself a virtualenv:

fink install virtualenv-py27
virtualenv django-env
source django-env/bin/activate
pip install django
deactivate # when you are done

Or use fink django plus any other pip installed packages in a virtualenv

fink install django-py27
fink install virtualenv-py27
virtualenv django-env --system-site-packages
source django-env/bin/activate
# django already installed
pip install django-analytical # or anything else you might want
deactivate # back to your normally scheduled programming