Python summer -2025

 Getting ready for summer python immersion

I installed all needed libraries using pip 

pip install numpy
pip install matplotlib
pip install scipy
pip install nidaqmx
pip install mcculw
pip install pyvisa

These are now installed in 

Location: /opt/anaconda3/lib/python3.12/site-packages

But I now would like to use IDLE to write my code (that is what the workshop organizer uses.)  He says:

 I haven't used JupiterLab enough to know all of its features, so I'll just describe what's in the book and you can tell me if it's possible in JupiterLab. Throughout the book, the programs are developed in a modular fashion where, say, a group of functions is placed in a self-written module (that is, a separate Python file with extension .py) and then that module is imported into a main program, where the functions are used. Is it possible to do that with JupiterLab?

 In the book, I use IDLE, which is part of what is installed when you download Python. IDLE can be used to create and then run Python programs.

 You're right about the downloads from NI and MCC being Windows only. Unfortunately, it's pretty common that the software drivers provided by equipment manufacturers for DAQ hardware aren't available for the macOS (that's been quite a pain for me at Reed because Steve Jobs went to school here and the college has been very Mac-centric). Anyway, Python itself is portable across platforms so you can write and test your programs on a Mac and then transfer them to a Windows machine and they will run fine. I did that quite a bit when I was writing the book and only found that the GUIs looked slightly different on the two platforms.

So I downloaded python version 3.13.3 and now that is in my applications directory and I can run IDLE from there.

Now the command:  

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3.13 -V

Gives output

Python 3.13.3

Using pip to install all of the libraries:

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3.13 -m pip install numpy

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3.13 -m pip install matplotlib

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3.13 -m pip install scipy

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3.13 -m pip install nidaqmx

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3.13 -m pip install mcculw

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.13/bin/python3.13 -m pip install pyvisa

All installed correctly.

New Macbook 2024

I had to get a new macbook even though I was not at the end of my office computer cycle because the new networking upgrade was not working well with older mac systems.  

So, now I have a new 14 inch macbook pro.  

Checking apps to see what I need to install before I lose admin privledges.  

• Dropbox
• Eclipse  I don't really use this anymore either?
• Gnuplot?  Not sure if I want this anymore - I use JupyterLab instead these days.
• Imagemagick?
• Anaconda for sure and get JupyterLab Set up
• Texshop - I dont think i need anymore?  But maybe
• Turning point and active presenter i think i no longer need
• Mathematica they installed
• Latexit for sure
• Firefox and chrome already installed
• Zotero?
• Pasco Capstone

Set up tasks:

• Set up right click and trackpad preferences
• Set up mission control
• Finder - view - show path bar
• Installed Latexit, but it needs pdflatex
• Installed Anaconda
• Updated Anaconda
• Downloading homebrew so that I can install pdflatex - brew is installed
• basictex is successfully installed
• I added /Library/TeX/texbin to my path because https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/642248/i-have-installed-mactex-because-i-need-pdflatex-but-it-looks-like-not-open told me to. (I followed  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYq1PvDTUIA)
• but latexit still does not work - i still need ghostscript
• Installing ghostscript using brew: 
• brew update
• brew upgrade
• brew install ghostscript
• brew cleanup
• Trying to find where brew installed gs.  Seems to be in /opt/homebrew/bin
• But I cannot seem to tell latexit where that is.  It gives a gui directory finder and it cannot find opt
• went ahead and installed mactex.  Show be in /usr/local/texlive
• Quit and restarted and latexit found it no problem.  seems to work now.  Enough for tonight.

• Installing Eclipse 
• downloading the AArch64 option, because it is the ARM architecture and I opened terminal and typed uname -m and it gave a result of arm64.
• Looks OK!  Not sure if I'll ever use it.
• Texshop seems to be already downloaded with mactex.
• Capstone is installed
• installed imagemagick - not sure if I will ever use it.
• Rspec is installed (for spectrometer)
• Installed a bunch of programs on brew that MAY be useful later.

Record of getting stated with Qiskit

 I already have an account, and was able to log in.  

• Go to IBM Quantum Documentation, which tells me I need to install Qiskit.
• Install video:  https://docs.quantum.ibm.com/start/install
• In this video, he installs miniconda, but I already have anaconda installed on Physics Laptop 8706.
• I need to update anaconda - got a temp password for installs from ITS, and updated.
• Relaunched anaconda
• Follow:  https://subscription.packtpub.com/book/programming/9781838828448/1/ch01lvl1sec04/installing-qiskit
• Follow: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/set-up-virtual-environment-for-python-using-anaconda/
• Get an anaconda prompt from start menu ("Anaconda prompt")
• Check the version of conda in the path:  conda -V gives conda 24.5.0
• conda update conda ---- gives all requested packages already installed
• conda search “^python$” --- to find installed python versions.  Gives highest version as 3.12.3
• conda create --name cwq
• confirm y
• conda activate cwq
• pip install qiskit
• pip install matplotlib
• pip install qiskit-ibm-runtime
• pip install qiskit[visualization]
• pip install jupyter
• Open notebook as follows:  jupyter notebook path/to/notebook.ipynb 
• I made a directory in Quantum 200 folder called cwq
• pip install pylatexenc
• OK, but maybe I just want to use composer and I do not need qiskit installed?
• To get to composer
• Click on "Application Switcher" -> multiple dots upper right (not left) corner.
• Go to Learning
• Tools 
• Quantum Composer
• OK - I'm up and running, and I think this will be enough.  No need for all the installs, that makes things easier.
• 
  

setting up eclipse

Found these unpublished notes:

__________________________________________________________________________

1.  Installed Java Runtime Env

2.  Installing Yatta Launcher for Eclipse Photon.  Not sure what this is about.

Currently installing.  Needs JDK.  Installing from here:  https://www.java.com/en/download/mac_download.jsp

3.  Installing gnuplot using homebrew:  https://brew.sh/

and typing:

brew install gnuplot

but there is no default terminal

X11 is no longer included with Mac.

Try to install using xquartz:  https://www.xquartz.org/

So installed that and then did this:

brew uninstall gnuplot; brew install gnuplot --with-x11

Now it works.

__________________________________________________________________________

Now June 15th, 2021

Need to install Eclipse again

-Downloading the eclipse installer

https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/oomph/epp/2021-03/R/eclipse-inst-jre-mac64.dmg

-Opening and running

-Installing Eclipse IDE for Java Developers

- Installation completed successfully 

-Launching

-Choosing Workspace - older workspace may be incompatible

-Opening Eclipse 2021-03

    -opened OK (with errors in all the folders)

-Code works!

Setting up my new office computer

 Data:

Running Big Sur

That storage use is due to app, system and other.

They installed a lot of apps for me.  I asked for:

• Microsoft OneNote
• Zoom
• Dropbox
• Eclipse (latest version)
• gnuplot 
• Imagemagick
• Mathematica
• Turning Point (clicker software)
• Active Presenter (unless there is something else the college is recommending for video editting?)
• TexShop
• Latexit
• Firefox 
• Chrome
• Zotero
• Pasco Capstone 

and Angus told me they were able to get everything on except for 

• Zoom
• Dropbox
• Eclipse

So here is a record of what I am doing to set things up.

Looks like I don't have a right click, so going to try to set up my settings and clean things up:

1. Set up right click on trackpad.
2. Clean up dock.
3. Finder -- View -- use stacks - this cleans up the desktop.  Amazing!
4. Finder -- View -- show path bar
5. Finder -- View -- show status bar
6. Finder -- View -- show tab bar
7. System Preferences -- General -- Show scroll bar always
8. Install Dropbox
1. Turn on Accessibility for dropbox System Preferences-- General-- Security and Privacy -- Privacy -- Accessibility -- dropbox (check)
9. Set up mission control
10. 
    

Check out:

Davinci raw

New Macbook Pro

Downloads

Firefox
Adobe
Texshop
Mactex
Dropbox
Google Drive
Quicksilver

Import
Music
Pictures

Eclipse Kepler setup

Following my blog post:

http://klein-gould.blogspot.com/2013/07/step-by-step-subversive-install-for.html

1.  Install subversive plugins OK

2.  Install Subversive SVN connectors OK

3.  Created new workspace:

Code/JavaEclipseWorkspace

Importing google code


4.  Importing scikit.  OK