"bottle blocked by python requirement" is vague in boost 1.55.0_1 upgrade

[khenriks]

I'm trying to upgrade boost, and I'd like to use a bottle, since compiling boost from source takes forever, which is why there is a bottle. I get the message in the subject, "Building source; bottle blocked by python requirement" and I have no idea what this means or how I could resolve it to allow the bottle to be used. I'd call this a documentation bug; could it be made clearer exactly what that means?

[MikeMcQuaid]

I'll try and work out a way of clarifying this but it's not going to be too quick, sadly. Basically this is because you have either the Homebrew Python installed and/or the first python in your PATH isn't /usr/bin/python. This means that Boost's Python bindings won't be compatible with your chosen python and therefore need built from source.

[khenriks]

Okay, thanks for the clarification. An entry in the FAQ and the inclusion of "; see FAQ" at the end of the printed message would probably be enough.

I have Python installed from Homebrew, but I would also like to use the bottle for boost. I don't know if there's any way to accommodate this.

[MikeMcQuaid]

@khenriks I checked: if the first Python your PATH isn't /usr/bin/python it'll refuse to pour the bottle. You could either brew unlink python or just ensure it's not the first in your PATH when installing.

[MikeMcQuaid]

@khenriks Out of interest: what do you use the Homebrew-installed Python for? Would you mind if you couldn't use e.g. the Boost Python bindings with the Homebrew-installed Python?

[daviewales]

When you say you want to use the bottle for boost, are you wanting just the boost library without the Python bindings, or are you wanting bottled boost with Python bindings?

[khenriks]

@MikeMcQuaid I use the Homebrew-installed Python partly because I know it will get updated with new upstream versions of Python, and partly because I can use the bundled pip without needing sudo. I use it for my own scripts, and generally as my primary Python distribution. I don't use the Boost Python bindings, and wouldn't mind if the they weren't available with Homebrew Python.

@daviewales Using the boost library without Python bindings would be fine for me. I have boost installed only as a dependency for other packages, rather than something I use on its own.

[MikeMcQuaid]

@khenriks Ok, good to know. For future reference you can always use pip install --user I believe. Good to know some typical use-cases, though, thanks.

[bgschiller]

I googled the same message and found this thread. @MikeMcQuaid I just wanted to add another use case for using the Homebrewed python rather than system python.

In order to use the python bindings with Homebrewed opencv, you must be using homebrewed python. It looks like this is not unique to opencv, as it's listed on the common issues page

Hope this is helpful, thanks for your work!

[lincolnq]

In case someone els was making the same error as me: I got this message while in a virtualenv. I needed to do 'deactivate' from my virtualenv in order to progress with the unbottling.

[MikeMcQuaid]

@bgschiller That's not really a use-case; it only requires opencv if it's been built with a Homebrew Python installed.

[tbelaire]

There's a reason to use the homebrewed python, and that's because it's 2.7.6, with some fixes for OSX 10.9, which cause the interactive prompt to crash. It was a readline issue. Current /usr/bin/python is 2.7.5.

http://blog.python.org/2013/11/python-276-released.html

[MikeMcQuaid]

Have updated boost accordingly for this. The bottle will be updated shortly and other formulae will follow in the medium-term.

[hashar]

Thank you @MikeMcQuaid ! I am using the brew version of python --with-poll which is lacking from Apple version (it is broken in a lot of case but works for my specific use case though).

I tend to prefer bottles :-P

[kevindavenport]

Any ideas on how to install boost via homebrew but leave my anaconda install of python intact?
export PATH="/Users/user1/anaconda/bin:$PATH"

[daviewales]

You might want to create a new issue, with more details. e.g. What does Homebrew do to your anaconda python?