title: Install "scientific python" environment: OS X 10.7 + Numpy + Scipy + Matplotlib
body: <p>What could I have done instead in order to get these items working together? Should I just move everything to windows 7 (I'd prefer not, but if it's the only reliable way.)</p>
  
  <p>Okay, so here's what's happened: I wanted to install numpy/scipy onto my mac, which runs 10.7. Unfortunately numpy ver1.6 only supports up python 2.6. I go and install python 2.6, But python 2.6 doesn't work; app-icon bounces and automatically quits. (This strange in retrospect, because I heard python 2.7 and numpy ships with mac; but when I tried using sample code from the numpy website it failed.)</p>
  
  <p>Now in a real bind, so I eventually found this: <a href="http://stronginference.com/scipy-superpack/">http://stronginference.com/scipy-superpack/</a>
  Which somehow installs numpy 2.0, Scipy (0.11), Matplotlib (1.2), iPython (0.12), Pandas (0.5.1) as well as PyMC (2.2 alpha).</p>
  
  <p>It seemed like it worked, Numpy did work with some example code they provided on python 2.7. But as I was working on practice problems, I found that matplotlib is not working at all anymore. The python launcher (I think.... it's python launcher app-icon, but just says "python" for the name) bounces in the app tray and eventually freezes. I was worried it could be because I had matplotlib 1.1 installed before, so I followed instructions to clean uninstall matplotlib followed by installation with scipy-superpack.</p>
  
  <p>Still fails the same way as before. Now I've done a clean install of matplotlib 1.1 in hopes that it works. And when I "import pylab" it throws up a ton of error messages.</p>
  
  <p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>