general question

[Christopher Brewster]

As a relative newcomer to trying to use Macports, I would like to understand the following:
- when requesting something to be installed (in my case Matplotlib) why does it install Python as I have Python already installed separately (directly from Python.org)?
- do the multiple installations of python cause problems?
- why is GCC 4.3 installed when the computer already comes with GCC 4.2?
- If I install something with easy_install does that play nice with the Macport installations?

I suppose basically I am asking how do Macport installations play with other existing or future elements to be installed?

Thank you for any insight.

Christopher


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Operations and Information Management Group,
Aston Business School, Aston University,