Tag: Installation

Mac Gatekeeper Error

This is an update of a post that originally appeared on March 21, 2016.

A number of my books ask readers to download an IDE or other code and install it on their Mac systems. The problem is that the Mac system won’t always cooperate. For example, you might see an error dialog like the one shown for Code::Blocks:

The Gatekeeper error tells you that it won't allow you to install software from unknown publishers.
Your Mac won’t let you install software.

The problem is one of permissions. The default permissions set for newer Mac systems restrict you to getting your apps from the Mac App Store or from vendors who have signed their files. Fortunately, you can overcome this problem either temporarily or permanently, depending on how you want to use your Mac. The blog post What is Gatekeeper & How to Disable Gatekeeper on Monterey? provides you with illustrated, step-by-step directions to perform the task using either method. Let me know if you encounter any other problems getting your Mac to install the software required to use my books at [email protected].

Getting a Good Anaconda Install

Some people may have misinterpreted the content at the beginning of Chapter 3 in Python for Data Science for Dummies. It isn’t necessary to install the products listed in the Considering the Off-the-Shelf Cross-Platform Scientific Distributions section starting on Page 39. These products are for those of you who would like to try a development environment other than the one used in the book, which is Anaconda 2.1.0. However, unless you’re an advanced user, it’s far better to install Anaconda 2.1.0 so that you can follow the exercises in the book without problem. Installing all of the products listed in Chapter 3 will result in a setup that won’t work at all because the various products will conflict with each other.

Because Continuum has upgraded Anaconda, you need to download the 2.1.0 version from the archive at https://repo.continuum.io/archive/.There are separate downloads for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.  The chapter tells you precisely which file to download.  For example, for Windows you’d download Anaconda-2.1.0-Windows-x86_64.exe. The point is to use the same version of Anaconda as you find in the book. You can find the installation instructions on Page 41 if you have a Windows system, Page 45 if you have a Linux system, or Page 46 if you have a Mac OS X system.  Make sure you download the databases for the book by using the procedures that start on page 47.

Following this process is the best way to ensure you get a good installation for Python for Data Science for Dummies. Luca and I want to make certain that you can use the book to discover the wonders of data science without having to jump through a lot of hoops to do it. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions about the installation process.