Why install a third-party Python 2.7?

Python.org, Homebrew, scipy.org, 69105 different blog posts explaining how to install numpy/scipy/etc. on a Mac, etc. all tell you to install a different Python alongside Apple's. Almost nobody tells you to just use Apple's (except Homebrew, but they also tell you the oppositeā€¦).

There are some good reasons to install a third-party Python 2.7 on your Mac. If any of these apply, go install it:

You have an older OS X that doesn't come with 2.7. You need one of the fixes in the latest 2.7.x. You plan to use py2app to distribute binary applications.

tl;dr

Install Xcode from the App Store, then install the Command Line Tools from Xcode (Preferences | Downloads | Components). Install Python 3.3.0 (or the latest non-beta version, if you're in the future) by running the "Mac OS X 64-bit/32-bit Installer". Follow the installer's instructions to make sure python3 ends up on your PATH.

tl;dr

Install Xcode from the App Store, then install the Command Line Tools from Xcode (Preferences | Downloads | Components). Install Homebrew, gfortran, pip, readline, python, numpy, ipython, and whichever packages you need: ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/mxcl/homebrew/go)" brew install gfortran sudo easy_install pip readline sudo pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall numpy sudo pip install ipython scipy pandas matplotlib There is no step 3.
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