How to install PIL on Mac OSX 10.5.8 for Google App Engine?

I need to get PIL installed locally to test GAE's images api in my local environment.

I grabbed the PIL 1.1.6 installer for Mac, and when I go to select the destination (when installing), I get the error:

You cannot install PIL 1.1.6 on this volume. 
PIL requires System Python 2.5 to install.

I have Python 2.5.x on this machine.

NOTE:

Added a bounty. I am in real need of a way to test the image API locally on my Mac.

That's quite easy:

Install MacPorts
Install Python 2.5 with sudo port install python25
Install Pil for Python 2.5 with sudo port install py25-pil
In the Google App Engine launcher Preferences set /opt/local/bin/python2.5 as Python Path ^*
Restart the Google App Engine launcher
Happy coding

^{* be sure to confirm it with an ENTER or it will not persist}

I would install homebrew, and use that to install python2.7 (a requirement for pip to work properly together with homebrew) and then use pip to install PIL.

If you don't have macports or fink or something installed already, this is simple. If you do, you might want to look into removing it first (especially if they live in /usr/local).

Installing homebrew: https://github.com/mxcl/homebrew/wiki/Installation

(If you have Xcode installed (you need a compiler) you can just use this one-liner, but I recommend you read the instructions first so you understand what it does.)

ruby -e "$(curl -fsSLk https://gist.github.com/raw/323731/install_homebrew.rb)"

Installing python 2.7:

brew install python

Just remember to add the homebrew python as well as your homebrew bin directory to the front of your $PATH after installing (put this in your ~/.bashrc):

export PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.1/bin:$PATH

Installing PIL: (it seems like my installation is linked against libjpeg, so install that first)

brew install jpeg
pip install pil

There you go.

Give Pillow a try.

pip install Pillow

... and that's it.

Here is another method that does not require macports or homebrew, etc... http://cgarvey.ie/blog/archive/2010/01/27/installing-pil-on-mac-os-x-snow-leopard-for-use-in-google-app-engine/

It says snow leopard in the title, but it works fine on leopard (just did this). Paraphrased from the article:

Download jpegsrc.v8c.tar.gz or the latest from http://www.ijg.org/files/
Extract jpegsrc and from within that directory:

export CC="gcc -arch i386"
./configure
make
sudo make install
Download and extract PIL and from within the PIL directory

sudo python setup.py install

This seems to be working for me so hopefully it helps someone else.

Sorry that the formatting is a little bit weird but I'm having some trouble with the editor.

celite milbrandt

sudo port install py27-pil
pip install pil

As stated in my comment, I have installed and tested the Python and PIL installations found here and everything works fine. Your error is likely related to trying to use the system version of Python.

I don't have 10.5.8 to test this, so YMMV (works on 10.6):

Install MacPorts (Leopard version): http://www.macports.org/install.php
Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal
$ sudo port install python27
$ sudo port install py27-pip

Install PIL either via MacPorts or pip (whichever works - DON'T RUN BOTH):

$ sudo port install py27-pil
$ sudo pip-2.7 install PIL

Launch Python 2.7 and test it out:

$ python2.7
>>> import PIL
>>> PIL
<module 'PIL' from '/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/PIL/__init__.pyc'>

Remember, you have to type $ python2.7, since $ python will continue to load the OS X version of Python, which is 2.5 I believe...

This means any scripts you write with #!/usr/bin/env python at the top will use the non-PIL Python 2.5. You'll have to change them to #!/opt/local/bin/python2.7 for PIL-Python 2.7. Or...

You can easily change whichever Python version $ python loads, and ignore that header madness, by installing python_select:

$ sudo port install python_select
...installs stuff...
$ sudo python_select python27

Now, whenever you run $ python, it'll load Python 2.7, and not OS X Python 2.5. You can easily switch back anytime. Just run $ python_select -l and you'll see the -apple version of Python. On 10.6: $ sudo python_select python26-apple

I've had python2.7 and PIL installed for a long time (using MacPorts) and I've been using them successfully in non-app-engine work. App Engine failed to load it and logged the following message:

Could not initialize images API; you are likely missing the Python "PIL" module.

Inspired by @DaveGallagher's comment above about MacPorts installing into /opt/local/..., I realized I wasn't running the right python. In "Google App Engine Launcher", in "Preferences...", I changed "Python Path" to