diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index 579bc580efea..622723836cbd 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -12,20 +12,27 @@ installed, and how you want to use it. To avoid wading through all
the details (and potential complications) on this page, there are several
convenient options.
+Installing pre-built packages
+=============================
+
Most platforms : scientific Python distributions
-================================================
+------------------------------------------------
+
+The first option is to use one of the pre-packaged python
+distributions that already provide matplotlib built-in. The
+Continuum.io Python distribution (`Anaconda
+`_ or `miniconda
+`_) and the Enthought
+distribution `(Canopy) `_
+are both excellent choices that "just work" out of the box for
+Windows, OSX and common Linux platforms. Both of these distributions
+include matplotlib and *lots* of other useful tools. Another
+excellent alternative for Windows users is `Python (x, y)
+`_ .
-The first option is to use one of the pre-packaged python distributions that
-already provide matplotlib built-in. The Continuum.io Python distribution
-`(Anaconda) `_ and the Enthought
-distribution `(Canopy) `_ are both
-excellent choices that "just work" out of the box for Windows, OSX and common
-Linux platforms. Both of these distributions include matplotlib and *lots* of
-other useful tools. Another excellent alternative for Windows users is
-`Python (x, y) `_ .
Linux : using your package manager
-==================================
+----------------------------------
If you are on Linux, you might prefer to use your package manager. matplotlib
is packaged for almost every major Linux distribution.
@@ -33,79 +40,16 @@ is packaged for almost every major Linux distribution.
* Debian / Ubuntu : ``sudo apt-get install python-matplotlib``
* Fedora / Redhat : ``sudo yum install python-matplotlib``
-Mac OSX - using pip
-===================
+Mac OSX : using pip
+-------------------
If you are on Mac OSX you can probably install matplotlib binaries using the
standard Python installation program `pip `_.
-See :ref:`installing-osx-binaries`.
-
-Manually installing pre-built packages
-======================================
-
-General instructions
---------------------
-
-For some people, the prepackaged pythons discussed above are not an
-option. That's OK, it's usually pretty easy to get a custom install
-working. You will first need to find out if you have python installed
-on your machine, and if not, install it. The official python builds
-are available for download `here `_,
-but OS X users please read :ref:`which-python-for-osx`.
-
-Once you have Python up and running, you will need to install `numpy
-`_. numpy provides high-performance array data
-structures and mathematical functions, and is a requirement for
-matplotlib. You can test your progress::
-
- >>> import numpy
- >>> print numpy.__version__
-
-matplotlib requires numpy version |minimum_numpy_version| or later.
-Although it is not a requirement to use matplotlib, we strongly
-encourage you to install `ipython `_, which is an
-interactive shell for python that is matplotlib-aware.
-
-Next, we need to get matplotlib installed. We provide prebuilt
-binaries for OS X and Windows on the matplotlib `download
-`_. Click on
-the latest release of the "matplotlib" package, choose your python
-version (2.6, 2.7, 3.3, or 3.4) and your platform (macosx or win32). If you
-have any problems, please check the :ref:`installing-faq`, search
-using Google, and/or post a question the `mailing list
-`_.
-
-If you are on Debian/Ubuntu linux, it suffices to do::
+See :ref:`install_osx_binaries`.
- > sudo apt-get install python-matplotlib
-Instructions for installing our OSX binaries are found in the FAQ
-:ref:`install_osx_binaries`.
-
-
-Once you have ipython, numpy and matplotlib installed, you can use
-ipython's "pylab" mode to have a MATLAB-like environment that automatically
-handles most of the configuration details for you, so you can get up
-and running quickly::
-
- johnh@flag:~> ipython -pylab
- Python 2.4.5 (#4, Apr 12 2008, 09:09:16)
- IPython 0.9.0 -- An enhanced Interactive Python.
-
- Welcome to pylab, a matplotlib-based Python environment.
- For more information, type 'help(pylab)'.
-
- In [1]: x = randn(10000)
-
- In [2]: hist(x, 100)
-
-Note that when testing matplotlib installations from the interactive
-python console, there are some issues relating to user interface
-toolkits and interactive settings that are discussed in
-:ref:`mpl-shell`.
-
-Installing on Windows
----------------------
+Windows
+-------
If you don't already have Python installed, we recommend using
one of the `scipy-stack compatible Python distributions
@@ -175,6 +119,8 @@ sys.prefix\Lib\site-packages\mpl_toolkits respectively, and install
Pillow, MiKTeX, GhostScript, ffmpeg, avconv, mencoder, ImageMagick, and
`Inkscape `_.
+
+
.. _install_from_source:
Installing from source
@@ -213,7 +159,7 @@ e.g., if the header to some required library is in
.. _install_requirements:
Build requirements
-==================
+------------------
These are external packages which you will need to install before
installing matplotlib. If you are building on OSX, see
@@ -221,23 +167,11 @@ installing matplotlib. If you are building on OSX, see
manager on Linux, you may need to install the development packages
(look for a "-dev" postfix) in addition to the libraries themselves.
-.. note::
-
- If you are on Debian/Ubuntu, you can get all the dependencies
- required to build matplotlib with::
-
- sudo apt-get build-dep python-matplotlib
-
- If you are on Fedora/RedHat, you can get all the dependencies
- required to build matplotlib by first installing ``yum-builddep``
- and then running::
-
- su -c "yum-builddep python-matplotlib"
- This does not build matplotlib, but it does get the install the
- build dependencies, which will make building from source easier.
+Required Dependencies
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-:term:`python` 2.6, 2.7, 3.1 or 3.2
+:term:`python` 2.6, 2.7, 3.3 or 3.4
`Download python `_.
:term:`numpy` |minimum_numpy_version| (or later)
@@ -267,7 +201,8 @@ libpng 1.2 (or later)
build support into the matplotlib single-click installer
-**Optional GUI frameworks**
+Optional GUI framework
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
These are optional packages which you may want to install to use
matplotlib with a user interface toolkit. See
@@ -288,8 +223,8 @@ backends and the capabilities they provide.
The python wrappers for the wx widgets library for use with the
WX or WXAgg backend
-**Optional external programs**
-
+Optional external programs
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ffmpeg/avconv or mencoder
Required for the animation module to be save out put to movie
formats.
@@ -297,7 +232,8 @@ ffmpeg/avconv or mencoder
ImageMagick
Required for the animation module to be able to save to animated gif.
-**Optional dependencies**
+Optional dependencies
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
`Pillow http://python-imaging.github.io/`__
If Pillow is installed, matplotlib can read and write a larger
@@ -305,12 +241,11 @@ ImageMagick
:term:`freetype` 1.4 (or later)
- library for reading true type font files. If you are a windows
- user, you can ignore this since we build support into the
- matplotlib single click installer.
+ library for reading true type font files.
-**Required libraries that ship with matplotlib**
+Required libraries that ship with matplotlib
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
:term:`agg` 2.4
The antigrain C++ rendering engine. matplotlib links against the
agg template source statically, so it will not affect anything on
@@ -326,10 +261,32 @@ ImageMagick
`ttconv`
truetype font utility
+.. _build_linux:
+
+Building on Linux
+-----------------
+
+It is easiest to use your system package manager to install the dependencies.
+
+If you are on Debian/Ubuntu, you can get all the dependencies
+required to build matplotlib with::
+
+ sudo apt-get build-dep python-matplotlib
+
+If you are on Fedora/RedHat, you can get all the dependencies required
+to build matplotlib by first installing ``yum-builddep`` and then
+running::
+
+ su -c "yum-builddep python-matplotlib"
+
+This does not build matplotlib, but it does get the install the
+build dependencies, which will make building from source easier.
+
+
.. _build_osx:
Building on OSX
-===============
+---------------
The build situation on OSX is complicated by the various places one
can get the libpng and freetype requirements (darwinports, fink,
@@ -337,3 +294,13 @@ can get the libpng and freetype requirements (darwinports, fink,
the different OSX version (e.g., 10.4 and 10.5). We recommend that you build
the way we do for the OSX release: get the source from the tarball or the
git repository and follow the instruction in :file:`README.osx`.
+
+.. _build_osx:
+
+Building on Windows
+-------------------
+
+Building for source on windows can be difficult. Please see
+`matplotlib-windbuild
+`_ for detailed
+instructions, dependency source blobs, and helper scripts.