Added a note about incorrect "PythonCore not found" message

Added a few comments on preference file handling.

1 files changed, 17 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/Mac/Demo/using.html b/Mac/Demo/using.html
index 273ede2..fb1eb18 100644
--- a/Mac/Demo/using.html
+++ b/Mac/Demo/using.html
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ interpreter in interactive mode by double-clicking its icon: <p>
 This should give you a text window with an informative version string
 and a prompt, something like the following:
 <PRE>
-Python 1.3.3 (Apr  7 1996)  [CW PPC w/GUSI]
+Python 1.4 (Oct  27 1996)  [CW PPC w/GUSI]
 Copyright 1991-1995 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam
 &gt;&gt;&gt;
 </PRE>
@@ -310,7 +310,8 @@ Note that while an applet behaves as a fullblown Macintosh application
 it is not self-sufficient, so distributing it to a machine without an
 installed Python interpreter will not work: it needs the shared python
 execution engine <CODE>PythonCore</CODE>, and probably various modules
-from the Lib and PlugIns folders. <p>
+from the Lib and PlugIns folders. Distributing it to a machine that does
+have a Python system (of the same release and architecture) will work. <p>
 
 <h2>Customizing applets</h2>
 
@@ -354,6 +355,12 @@ server. <p>
 
 <h2>Troubleshooting</h2>
 
+A rather baffling error message can be "PythonCore not found" when you
+start the interpreter and you are sure that PythonCore is available. The
+message should actually say "Not enough memory in the system heap to
+load PythonCore".
+Blame Apple for the confusing message. <p>
+
 Python is a rather safe language, and hence it should be difficult to
 crash the interpreter of the system with a Python script. There is an
 exception to this rule, though: the modules that interface to the
@@ -374,6 +381,14 @@ will appear to be correct in the editor but cause strange errors when
 imported. BBEdit has a popup menu which allows you to inspect (and
 set) the end-of-line convention used in a file. <p>
 
+Python attempts to keep its preferences file up-to-date even when you
+move the Python folder around, etc. If this fails the effect will be
+that Python cannot start or, worse, that it does work but it cannot find
+any standard modules. In this case, start Python examine <code>sys.path</code>.
+If it is incorrect remove the Python preferences file from the system
+folder and start the interpreter <em>while the interpreter sits in the main
+Python folder</em>. This will regenerate the preferences file. <p>
+
 <h2>Where to go from here</h2>
 
 The next section to check out is the <a href="index.html">annotated sample programs</a>.<p>