MacPython 2.4 to Default Python on Snow Leopard

I recently installed MacPython 2.4 while trying to get Plone installed using buildout rather than a binary build from plone.org. After I gave up and decided to use a binary build, I wanted to remove MacPython as the binary build comes with its own version of Python 2.4.

You need to uninstall MacPython manually, as there is no automated uninstaller. The documentation at python.org on removing MacPython and reverting to OS X’s default Python installation isn’t quite complete. I needed to follow a couple of extra steps, the final two below.

Here are the steps I needed to complete to fully revert to the system python:

	1. Remove the `MacPython 2.4` folder from your Applications folder.
	1. Remove the installed Python framework using a terminal: `sudo rm -rf /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework`. **Do not** remove `/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework` as this is the system version!
	1. Delete the symlink to python from `/usr/local/bin/python`
	<li>Check whether you have a `~/.bash_profile.pysave` created by the MacPython installer.
	<ul>
		1. If you do, restore your default `.bash_profile` from the backup: `rm ~/.bash_profile` then `mv ~/.bash_profile.pysave ~/.bash_profile`.
		1. If you don't, modify the PATH in your `~/.bash_profile` to remove the path starting `/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework`
	</ul></li>

You should now be able to start the default Python installed with OS X:

Voila!