Step one: Digest the README file from PyBrain's GitHub page.
There's not much of a preamble - just a title and INSTALLATION. I am immediately wondering what the heck is SciPy and how is it relevant. I came here for PyBrain, and the first thing I am told to do is make sure I have ScyPy. Sure, PyBrain and this SciPy are all Python libraries, but I wasn't expecting to so quickly run off to find something other than Python. So let's find out more about SciPy.
SciPy: Fundamental library for scientific computing
Ok. I know that a library will help me do things beyond the core Python libraries, but let's look into the about page.
Now, I'm really confused. I wanted PyBrain. Now I'm looking at SciPy, but it's not as simple as that because SciPy is "several related but distinct entities." Do I need all of them? A combination? One in particular?
Okay, forget the readme. Let's move to Step two.
Step two: Find a tutorial
FOUND ONE on the pybrain.org website. Okay. It looks promising because there are no immediate redirects to other libraries. Since I'm doing this in a laptop I've recently repurposed - read as "Installed Ubutnu Linux so the laptop wasn't a shitty Windows 10 brick" - I'll need to be sure I have git first. Yes, I bought an open box laptop from Best Buy for less than $150 and put Linux on it. You haven't?
There's not much of a preamble - just a title and INSTALLATION. I am immediately wondering what the heck is SciPy and how is it relevant. I came here for PyBrain, and the first thing I am told to do is make sure I have ScyPy. Sure, PyBrain and this SciPy are all Python libraries, but I wasn't expecting to so quickly run off to find something other than Python. So let's find out more about SciPy.
SciPy: Fundamental library for scientific computing
Ok. I know that a library will help me do things beyond the core Python libraries, but let's look into the about page.
Now, I'm really confused. I wanted PyBrain. Now I'm looking at SciPy, but it's not as simple as that because SciPy is "several related but distinct entities." Do I need all of them? A combination? One in particular?
Okay, forget the readme. Let's move to Step two.
Step two: Find a tutorial
FOUND ONE on the pybrain.org website. Okay. It looks promising because there are no immediate redirects to other libraries. Since I'm doing this in a laptop I've recently repurposed - read as "Installed Ubutnu Linux so the laptop wasn't a shitty Windows 10 brick" - I'll need to be sure I have git first. Yes, I bought an open box laptop from Best Buy for less than $150 and put Linux on it. You haven't?
Easy enough. Let's get git...Done!
Now, let's walk the tutorial.
Now, let's walk the tutorial.
WTF! Ok. Now what? Let's dig.
Step three: check dependencies
Less optimism now. I found documentation on some dependencies on the GitHub page. Let's see if that gets me a little further. Let's check the Python version first.
Step three: check dependencies
Less optimism now. I found documentation on some dependencies on the GitHub page. Let's see if that gets me a little further. Let's check the Python version first.
How the heck do I check the version of a library for Python? On the SciPy site, there's an install link that took me to instructions to install. There, I found instructions for using pip to install Python libraries. No, I don't know what pip is beyond the fact that it is a tool for install packages in Python. Let's give it a whirl. Upgrade pip first.
Code Editor
I'm not upset. Let's just get that module since I don't have it yet. Of course the pip install documentation says I should have it because I have python >= 2.7.9. No big deal though. Let's just get the SciPy stack and skip pip.
Now, I can go back to the running the setup script.
O_o ! hmmm...right setuptools. I totally forgot. GitHub page for setuptools should be full of useful information. Let's start with the setuptools README.
Okay, seriously, I'm back to needing pip to get setuptools. I'm tired of this project today.
Okay, seriously, I'm back to needing pip to get setuptools. I'm tired of this project today.
DONE! I really didn't expect this much hassle. It boiled down to very little actually getting done, but my next pybrain post will begin at the pybrain tutorial.