How to Setup PyMathProg

Here are some guides on how to setup your environment to run PyMathProg, choose your platform:

1. How to setup on Windows.
2. How to setup on Linux.
3. How to setup on Mac OS X.

How to setup on Windows

The easy way:

1. Setup Python 2.5.4.
2. Install GLPK: a setup program can be downloaded here and make sure your PATH enviroment variable contains the path to the glpk.dll file (by default in english language, it is in folder “C:\Program Files\GnuWin32\bin”).
3. Download dist#.#.zip (where #.# is the version) and unzip it, you will find two windows installer, and a zip file containing the source files. Run both installers. Unzip the source files and you can now play with the examples there.

The hard way:

1. If you would like to complile pyglpk yourself: Setup Python 2.5.4 and MinGW 5.1.6 (MinGW has gcc compiler – the minimal installation should work. I tried to work with the C compiler from Microsoft Visual Studio C++, but failed to compile PyGLPK, this is why I avoided Python 2.6, as some versions will use the Microsoft C compiler).

2. Install GLPK: a setup program can be downloaded here and when you install, make sure you install it in the “C:\Program Files\GnuWin32” folder. If you installed it somewhere else, you have to modify the ‘setup.py’ file to change the hardcoded installation directory of GLPK.

3. Make sure your %PATH% environment variable contains “C:\Python25;C:\MinGW\bin;C:\Program Files\GnuWin32\bin”, assuming you have installed them that way (the default).

4. Install PyGLPK (skip this step if pymprog version >= 0.3.0): unzip the source code of pyglpk (please goto the download section of pymprog project page at source forge – other sources might not compile on windows), go to the top folder that contains the setup.py file, issue this command:

   python setup.py build --compiler=mingw32 install

   to have it installed.

5. Also download the source code for pymprog, unzip it and open a command window (click Start->Run->type in ‘cmd’) and change to the unzipped folder, run:

   python setup.py build --compiler=mingw32 install

   Note: the compiler from the freely available Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition is not recommended.

   If you would like to build a binary distribution, issue this command:

   python setup.py build --compiler=mingw32 bdist_wininst

   Then the distribution files (binary installers) are stored in the ‘dist’ folder

How to setup on Linux

1. Setup Python 2.4 or later.

2. Install GLPK. For more information, visit GLPK homepage.

3. Install PyGLPK (skip this step if pymprog version >= 0.3.0): unzip the source code of pyglpk (please goto the download section of pymprog project page at source forge – other sources might not compile on windows), go to the top folder that contains the setup.py file, issue this command:

   python setup.py install

   to have it installed.

4. Also download the source code for pymprog, unzip it and start playing with the examples. If you wish, you can also install it, by running:

   ~/pymprog$ python setup.py install

   once you have changed to the folder you have unzipped pymprog into.

How to setup on Mac OS X

1. Setup Python 2.4 or later (Mac has that by default, so you should need to do nothing).

2. Setup glpk. Make sure you have the right version of xcode and MacPort for your version of Mac OS (download the right dmg files, and follow the installation steps), then type this in a terminal:

   sudo port install glpk

   and that should install glpk onto your system.

3. Download pymprog0.3.1 or later, unzip and change to the base folder:

   sudo python setup.py install

   and that’s it.