wacko dependencies require installing BOTH python2.4 and Python2.7 in order to install matplotlib

[simsong@…]

Hi. I've been using macports for several years. I just wiped a mac and reinstalled everything. SO this is a clean macports installation.

First I installed Unison, and that worked. Then I tried to install py-matplotlib and got this very strange dependency set:

--->  Computing dependencies for py-matplotlib
--->  Dependencies to be installed: freetype libpng py-configobj python24 py-dateutil py-setuptools py-tz py-numpy fftw-3 py-nose py-pyobjc2 py-elementtree py-py2app-devel py-altgraph py-bdist_mpkg py-macholib py-modulegraph py-modulegraph-devel py-pyobjc2-cocoa py-tkinter tcl tk Xft2 fontconfig pkgconfig xrender xorg-libX11 xorg-bigreqsproto xorg-inputproto xorg-kbproto xorg-libXau xorg-xproto xorg-libXdmcp xorg-libxcb python27 bzip2 db46 gdbm readline sqlite3 xorg-libpthread-stubs xorg-xcb-proto libxml2 xorg-util-macros xorg-xcmiscproto xorg-xextproto xorg-xf86bigfontproto xorg-xtrans xorg-renderproto xorg-libXScrnSaver xorg-libXext xorg-scrnsaverproto

... And you know what? It didn't work:

--->  Activating py-modulegraph-devel @0.7.2_0
Error: Target org.macports.activate returned: Image error: /opt/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/modulegraph/__init__.py is being used by the active py-modulegraph port.  Please deactivate this port first, or use 'port -f activate py-modulegraph-devel' to force the activation.
Error: Failed to install py-modulegraph-devel
Log for py-modulegraph-devel is at: /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_ports_python_py-modulegraph-devel/main.log
Error: The following dependencies were not installed: py-pyobjc2 py-py2app-devel py-modulegraph-devel py-pyobjc2-cocoa py-tkinter tcl tk Xft2 fontconfig pkgconfig xrender xorg-libX11 xorg-bigreqsproto xorg-inputproto xorg-kbproto xorg-libXau xorg-xproto xorg-libXdmcp xorg-libxcb python27 bzip2 db46 gdbm readline sqlite3 xorg-libpthread-stubs xorg-xcb-proto libxml2 xorg-util-macros xorg-xcmiscproto xorg-xextproto xorg-xf86bigfontproto xorg-xtrans xorg-renderproto xorg-libXScrnSaver xorg-libXext xorg-scrnsaverproto
Error: Status 1 encountered during processing.
To report a bug, see <http://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets>
15:18 132:~$ 

Just doesn't seem to me that this should happen...

[blb@…]

Unless there's a specific need for python 2.4, why not use py27-matplotlib (and hence, python 2.7) instead?