Python 1.4beta3 for Windows NT 3.5 and Windows 95
=================================================
The zip file pyth14b3.zip contains a preliminary binary release of
Python 1.4beta3 for Windows NT 3.5 and Windows '95, with Tcl/Tk
support. The installation has not been tested on Windows 3.1 with
Win32s. For general information on Python, see
http://www.python.org/.
To install
----------
Unzip the archive on a file system with enough space. It will create
a directory Python1.4b3 containing subdirectories Bin and Lib and some
files, including setup.bat, setup.py, uninstall.bat, and uninstall.py.
(If you don't have a zip program that supports long filenames, get the
file winzip95.exe and install it -- this is WinZip 6.1 for 32-bit
Windows systems.)
Run the SETUP.BAT file found in directory just created. When it is
done, press Enter.
Tcl/Tk support requires additional installation steps, see below.
To use
------
Python runs in a console (DOS) window. From the File Manager, run the
file python.exe found in the Bin subdirectory. You can also drag it
to a program group of your choice for easier access. Opening any file
ending in .py from the file manager should run it.
To use with Tkinter
-------------------
Get the file win41p1.exe from /pub/python/nt/ on ftp.python.org or
from ftp site ftp.sunlabs.com, directory /pub/tcl/. This is a
self-extracting archive containing the Tcl/Tk distribution for Windows
NT. Don't use an older version.
Using the control panel, set the TCL_LIBRARY and TK_LIBRARY
environment variables. E.g. if you installed Tcl/Tk in C:\TCL (the
default suggested by the installer), set TCL_LIBRARY to
"C:\TCL\lib\tcl7.5" and set TK_LIBRARY to "C:\TCL\lib\tk4.1". Also
add the directory "C:\TCL\bin" (or whereever the Tcl bin directory
ended up) to the PATH environment variable.
On Windows '95, you need to edit AUTOEXEC.BAT for this, e.g. by adding
the lines
SET TCL_LIBRARY=C:\Program Files\TCL\lib\tcl7.5
SET TK_LIBRARY=C:\Program Files\TCL\lib\tk4.1
SET PATH="%PATH%";"C:\Program Files\TCL\bin"
(substituting the actual location of the TCL installation directory).
Once Tcl/Tk is installed, you should be able to type the following
commands in Python:
>>> import Tkinter
>>> Tkinter._test()
This creates a simple test dialog box (you may have to move the Python
window a bit to see it). Click on OK to get the Python prompt back.
Troubleshooting
---------------
The following procedure will test successive components required for
successful use of Python and Tkinter. The steps before "import
_tkinter" can be used to verify the proper installation of the Python
core.
- First, run the Python interpreter (python.exe). This should give
you a ">>>" prompt in a "MS-DOS console" window. This may fail with a
complaint about being unable to find the file MSVC40RT.DLL. This file
(along with several other files) is included in the MSOFTDLL.EXE
self-extracting archive available in the /pub/python/wpy directory on
ftp.python.org. After extraction, move MSVCRT40.NT to
\Windows\System\MSVCRT40.DLL (note the change of extension).
- If you can't get a ">>>" prompt, your core Python installation may
be botched. Reinstall from the ZIP file (see above) and run
SETUP.BAT.
- At the ">>>" prompt, type a few commands. Each command should
succeed without complaints. Remember that Python is a case sensitive
language, so type the commands exactly as shown ("tkinter" and
"Tkinter" are two very different things).
>>> import sys
If this fails, you can't type :-) (Explanation: this is a
built-in module that is pre-initialized before the first ">>>"
prompt is printed. There is no way that this import can fail
except by a typo.)
>>> import string
If this fails, the Python library cannot be found. Reinstall
Python. (Explanation: the registry entry for PythonPath is
botched. Inspect sys.path to see what it is. If it is
something like ['.', '.\\lib', '.\\lib\\win'], the setup.py
script has not run successfully and you may get away with
rerunning the SETUP.BAT file.)
>>> import _tkinter
This can fail in a number of ways:
ImportError: No module named _tkinter
The Python module file _tkinter.dll can't be found.
Since it is installed by default, the installation is
probably botched. Reinstall Python.
ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified module could not
be found. (Possibly with a dialog box explaining that
TCL75.DLL or TK41.DLL could not be found.)
Probably a Tcl/Tk installation error. Reinstall Tcl/Tk.
Note that on Windows '95, you may need to add the Tcl
bin directory to the PATH environment variable.
Other failures:
It may be possible that you have an early prerelease
TCL75.DLL or TK41.DLL, which is incompatible with the
_tkinter module in the Python distribution. This will
most likely result in error messages that don't make a
lot of sense. Try installing Tcl/Tk from the
win41p1.exe self-extracting archive found in
/pub/python/nt on ftp.python.org.
>>> import Tkinter
If this fails, your Python library or sys.path is botched.
Your best bet, again, is to reinstall Python.
>>> Tkinter._test()
This should pop up a window with a label ("Proof-of-existence
test for TK") and two buttons ("Click me!" and "QUIT").
If you get nothing at all (not even a ">>>" prompt), the
window is probably hiding behind the Python console window.
Move the console window around to reveal the test window.
If you get an exception instead, it is most likely a verbose
complaint from Tcl/Tk about improper installation. This is
usually caused by bad or missing values for the environment
variables TK_LIBRARY or TCL_LIBRARY. See the installation
instructions above.
To uninstall
------------
Run the batch file UNINSTALL.BAT. This will run the Python script
uninstall.py, which undoes the registry additions and removes most
installed files. The batch file then proceed to remove some files
that the Python script can't remove (because it's using them). The
batch file ends with an error because it deletes itself. Hints on how
to avoid this (and also on how to remove the installation directory
itself) are gracefully accepted.
September 3, 1996
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)
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