[HowTo] python plugins and GIMP with Windows

[Karro]

The most important thing I found was you have to reboot after installing Python before you install anything else. Worst case scenario, install something without errors in the order listed and reboot before trying the next thing.

I did indeed restart after installing Python. The exact order I took was:

1) Uninstall GIMP
2) Download all the Python and GTK+ and Py-stuff
3) Install Python 2.5.4
4) Restart
5) Install GTK+
6) Install other Py-stuff
7) Make sure that shiny new scripts are all all in the script folder of GIMP
Reinstall (latest version of) GIMP [note: I had been running GIMP 2.4, upgraded to 2.6.5; I don't think I like that you can't minimize the tools and layers/palette windows anymore... sometimes I want to access my desktop, you know? I think I do like that it automatically opens a window for an image frame with all the menus centralized]

Also, python scripts actually are plugins, and have to be in the plugins folder, not the scripts folder (cause script-fu/tiny-fu is actually a plugin... Confusing, I know)...

-Rob A>

Ahh. Somewhere along the way I had gotten the impression that Python scripts belonged in the script folder along with script-fu scripts. I'll change them around tonight and check and see if that solves the problem, thanks!


Note: It changes my 8parenthesis into a bespectacled smiley; I'm just trying to enumerate, not to be cool

[jfrazierjr]

I did indeed restart after installing Python. The exact order I took was:

1) Uninstall GIMP
2) Download all the Python and GTK+ and Py-stuff
3) Install Python 2.5.4
4) Restart
5) Install GTK+
6) Install other Py-stuff
7) Make sure that shiny new scripts are all all in the script folder of GIMP
Reinstall (latest version of) GIMP [note: I had been running GIMP 2.4, upgraded to 2.6.5; I don't think I like that you can't minimize the tools and layers/palette windows anymore... sometimes I want to access my desktop, you know? I think I do like that it automatically opens a window for an image frame with all the menus centralized]



Ahh. Somewhere along the way I had gotten the impression that Python scripts belonged in the script folder along with script-fu scripts. I'll change them around tonight and check and see if that solves the problem, thanks!


Note: It changes my 8parenthesis into a bespectacled smiley; I'm just trying to enumerate, not to be cool

Install GTK, reboot.
Install all the other python stuff, reboot
Install GIMP and check the python option during the install.

I had trouble with this also, and originally blamed it on being Vista 64 bit after getting my new computer. For a few weeks, I was just bummed. I then went back to it and did several reboots between and got it working.

[Karro]

Install GTK, reboot.
Install all the other python stuff, reboot
Install GIMP and check the python option during the install.

I had trouble with this also, and originally blamed it on being Vista 64 bit after getting my new computer. For a few weeks, I was just bummed. I then went back to it and did several reboots between and got it working.

If RobA's suggestion doesn't work, I'll move on to trying the "reboot after each step" philosophy. Don't know if I'll have time to work on this tonight or not. Usually don't have time once I'm home with my wife, as either I have to study or spend time with her.

[RobA]

Also, the inkscape python install is specific to inkscape, so it won't interfere with any other python install on your system.

-Rob A>

[Karro]

Well, had a few minutes (about 15 minutes of contiguous free time) last night, and it looks like this is a case of 6 in one hand, half-dozen in the other.

I only had time to try moving the Py scripts into the Plugins folder, as RobA suggested. Upon starting up GIMP, I found that GIMP now recognized the Py scripts, insofar as the scripts were now listed in the menus.

However, upon trying to run one, I got an error message, first "Something something could not find something something". Okay, so, it's probably not going to work. Click OK, and a second error message pops up saying the Py Script has crashed and has been terminated.

Looks like I'm going to have to go back, as Joe suggested, and after each install do a reboot. I hope that works, but assuming it doesn't, any other suggestions on what I might have done wrong?

[jfrazierjr]

Another thing, make sure you uninstall GIMP before starting, just in case you skipped that step and tried to install GIMP over top of an existing install..

[Karro]

Another thing, make sure you uninstall GIMP before starting, just in case you skipped that step and tried to install GIMP over top of an existing install..

Thanks. Yeah, I did uninstall, first. I guess I'll do so again when I try to reinstall all the python elements.

[Karro]

Well, no dice.

I just uninstalled GIMP, then uninstalled GTK, just in case.

I ran the install on GTK - the exact file I ran was "gtk-2.12.9-win32-1". It went fine as before. No errors that I could see.

Then I reboot my laptop.

Next, I attempted to install PyCairo.

I got the same three error messages. This time I recorded them:

1.
title: Could not create
message: pycairo-py2.5
I clicked "OK" (no other options)

2.
title: Could not set key value
message: Python 2.5 pycairo-1.4.12
I clicked "OK" (no other options)

3.
title: Could not set key value
message: "C:\Python25\Removpycairo.exe" -u "C:\Python25\pycairo-wininst.log"
Again, clicked "OK" (no other options)

And... finally it pretends to finish installing, and voila, I click "FINISH".

In the C:\Python25 folder, under "Lib\site-packages" (the default directory for the PyCairo install) there is now a Cairo folder, within which we find three files named "_init_" (one a python file and the other two "compiled" python files) as well as _cairo.pyd. In the former directory there is also a file called "pycairo-1.4.12-py2.5.egg-info". There are also several pygtk files and a gtk-2.0 folder. (I don't know if the pygtk files are left over from the previous install, but I suspect that has nothing to do with the current error.) Given these errors, I didn't bother trying to install pygtk or pygobject.

So... any chance you guys think a functional install of Python for GIMP will be included in future GIMP versions? Also... does any of this make sense to anybody? I guess I just don't get to use python scripts in my GIMP...

Another question: What the heck are each of these supposed to do? And why are they required to make GIMP python scripts useable? I've enjoyed using GIMP for sure (and you can't beat the price) but it's certainly doomed to be relegated to a very narrow niche-status if it's this difficult to get the full benefit of GIMP's python script functionality.

[jfrazierjr]

Well, no dice.

I just uninstalled GIMP, then uninstalled GTK, just in case.

I ran the install on GTK - the exact file I ran was "gtk-2.12.9-win32-1". It went fine as before. No errors that I could see.

Then I reboot my laptop.

Next, I attempted to install PyCairo.

I got the same three error messages. This time I recorded them:

1.
title: Could not create
message: pycairo-py2.5
I clicked "OK" (no other options)

2.
title: Could not set key value
message: Python 2.5 pycairo-1.4.12
I clicked "OK" (no other options)

3.
title: Could not set key value
message: "C:\Python25\Removpycairo.exe" -u "C:\Python25\pycairo-wininst.log"
Again, clicked "OK" (no other options)

And... finally it pretends to finish installing, and voila, I click "FINISH".

In the C:\Python25 folder, under "Lib\site-packages" (the default directory for the PyCairo install) there is now a Cairo folder, within which we find three files named "_init_" (one a python file and the other two "compiled" python files) as well as _cairo.pyd. In the former directory there is also a file called "pycairo-1.4.12-py2.5.egg-info". There are also several pygtk files and a gtk-2.0 folder. (I don't know if the pygtk files are left over from the previous install, but I suspect that has nothing to do with the current error.) Given these errors, I didn't bother trying to install pygtk or pygobject.

So... any chance you guys think a functional install of Python for GIMP will be included in future GIMP versions? Also... does any of this make sense to anybody? I guess I just don't get to use python scripts in my GIMP...

Another question: What the heck are each of these supposed to do? And why are they required to make GIMP python scripts useable? I've enjoyed using GIMP for sure (and you can't beat the price) but it's certainly doomed to be relegated to a very narrow niche-status if it's this difficult to get the full benefit of GIMP's python script functionality.

They are things related to pythons graphics manipulation libraries IIRC. Why undoing all of it, INCLUDING Python...
Reboot after you have uninstalled everything (at the end) and then follow the instructions and reboot after installing each component. I know it is critical to reboot after install Python because most times, the OS environment does not get set up correctly until after the reboot to "know" Python is there.

Here is what I think I did.

Install Python
Reboot
Install GTK
Reboot
Install the 3 libraries
Reboot
Install Gimp, if possible, uncheck the option to install GTK(so it does not install over the possibly newer one.)

[Karro]

They are things related to pythons graphics manipulation libraries IIRC. Why undoing all of it, INCLUDING Python...
Reboot after you have uninstalled everything (at the end) and then follow the instructions and reboot after installing each component. I know it is critical to reboot after install Python because most times, the OS environment does not get set up correctly until after the reboot to "know" Python is there.

Here is what I think I did.

Install Python
Reboot
Install GTK
Reboot
Install the 3 libraries
Reboot
Install Gimp, if possible, uncheck the option to install GTK(so it does not install over the possibly newer one.)

Success.... I think.

I still got the three error messages. But I guess that's not the problem. You clued me in with the "uncheck the option to install GTK". I realized that GIMP was installing a version of GTK over what I'd already installed. I think that might have been messing up the Python libraries.

However... the version that GIMP installs is a newer (and apparently better looking, this older GTK 2.12.9 is pretty ugly compared to the GTK 2.14.7, which is what I think GIMP comes with) version of GTK... so now I have to do it all over again but installing that newer GTK first. I found the newer version, so I'll go ahead and do that next.

Whew... this was tougher than I expected! Glad I finally got it to work. There's some neat stuff being written in Python! Anyway, one more round we go...