PIL on Snow Leopard

Today I 'ave mainly been thinking how to install Python Imaging Library on OS X 10.6.

It was all going so well...

But when I came to do some mods to some old python  stuff I found that Python Image Library was not installed with Apple Python 2.6. No problem just download and install PIL. Well no... It did not just work like it usually would, then I started reading various posts about the problems and possible solutions.

In the past I have used fink but have always felt was a bit awkward. My preferred solution would be to install PIL on top of Apple Python and carry on!

Today I am attempting to install python2.6.4 using MacPorts. Its a long process so no idea if it will finish before I fall asleep. However I will tell the story here if I find out how to do it.

Download mac ports from here.
Install in the usual way.

$ sudo port install python26 # this takes a long time
$ sudo port install python_select
$ sudo python_select python26
$ sudo port install py26-pil
$ sudo port install py26-django
$ sudo port install py26-pyqt4 # this takes a long time
$ suso port install py26-docutils

MacPorts .. seems simple enough to me.

Tkinter apps look a bit too much X11 like for me but Qt looks like it always does. Seems a bit of a shame because Apple python seems difficult to upgrade. I assume its a 32/64 bit compatibility problem that will go away in time.