Doc maintenance

Fixes Homebrew/homebrew#37698.

share/doc/homebrew/Common-Issues.md

@@ -97,20 +97,32 @@ $ git clean -f # this will remove untracked files
 
 ### Python: `Segmentation fault: 11` on `import <some_python_module>`
 
-A `Segmentation fault: 11` is in 95% due to a different Python executable used for building the software vs. the python you use to import the module. Note that e.g. the `boost` bottle is built against system python and should be brewed from source to make it work with a brewed Python.
+A `Segmentation fault: 11` is in many cases due to a different Python
-This can even happen when both python executables are the same version (e.g. 2.7.2). The explanation is that Python packages with C-extensions (those that have `.so` files) are compiled against a certain python binary/library that may have been built with a different arch (e.g. Apple's python is still not a pure 64bit). Other things can go wrong, too. Welcome to the dirty underworld of C.
+executable used for building the software vs. the python you use to import the
+module.  This can even happen when both python executables are the same version
+(e.g. 2.7.2). The explanation is that Python packages with C extensions (those
+that have `.so` files) are compiled against a certain python binary/library that
+may have been built with a different arch (e.g. Apple's python is still not a
+pure 64-bit build). Other things can go wrong, too. Welcome to the dirty
+underworld of C.
 
-To solve this, you should remove the problematic formulae with those python bindings and all of it's dependencies.
+To solve this, you should remove the problematic formula with those python
+bindings and all of its dependencies.
 
   - `brew rm $(brew deps <problematic_formula>)`
   - `brew rm <problematic_formula>`
-  - Also check the `$(brew --prefix)/lib/python2.7/site-packages` directory and delete all remains of the corresponding python modules if they were not cleanly removed by the previous steps.
+  - Also check the `$(brew --prefix)/lib/python2.7/site-packages` directory and
-  - Check that `which python` points to the python you want. Perhaps now is the time to `brew install python`.
+    delete all remains of the corresponding python modules if they were not
+    cleanly removed by the previous steps.
+  - Check that `which python` points to the python you want. Perhaps now is the
+    time to `brew install python`.
   - Then reinstall `brew install <problematic_formula>`
-  - Now start `python` and try to `import` the module installed by the <problematic_formula>
+  - Now start `python` and try to `import` the module installed by the
+    \<problematic_formula\>
 
-You can basically use any Python (2.x) for the bindings homebrew provides, but you can't mix.
+You can basically use any Python (2.x) for the bindings homebrew provides, but
-Homebrew formulae use a brewed Python if available or, if not so, they use whatever `python` is in your `PATH`.
+you can't mix.  Homebrew formulae use a brewed Python if available or, if not
+so, they use whatever `python` is in your `PATH`.
 
 ### Python: `Fatal Python error: PyThreadState_Get: no current thread`
 
@@ -119,14 +131,12 @@ Fatal Python error: PyThreadState_Get: no current thread
 Abort trap: 6
 ```
 
-This happens for `boost`, `pygtk` and/or `pygobject` and related modules, for the same reason as described above.
+This happens for `boost-python`, `pygtk`, `pygobject`, and related modules,
-If the `boost` is your problem, please `brew rm boost`, `brew install boost --build-from-source`. This is needed because the boost bottle is built against system python.
+for the same reason as described above. To solve this, follow the steps above.
 
-To solve this, follow the steps above.
+If `boost` is your problem, note that Boost.Python is now provided by the
-
+`boost-python` formula. Removing any existing `boost` and `boost-python`,
-### Python: `Python.h not found`
+running `brew update`, and installing them anew should fix things.
-
-The formula needs a `depends_on :python`, probably.
 
 ### Python: easy-install.pth cannot be linked
 ```
@@ -147,9 +157,6 @@ To list all files that would be deleted:
   brew link --overwrite --dry-run formula_name
 ```
 
-Don't follow the advice of setuptools here but fix by adding
+Don't follow the advice here but fix by using
-`--record=installed.txt` and `--single-version-externally-managed` flags to `setup.py`:
+`Language::Python.setup_install_args` in the formula as described in
-
+[Python for Formula Authors](Python-for-Formula-Authors.md).
-### Python: `/usr/local/bin/virtualenv: ...: bad interpreter: No such file or directory`
-
-Did you try to pip install --upgrade virtualenv? Since the full path to Python is included, you will need to reinstall software like this after upgrading python itself.

share/doc/homebrew/FAQ.md

@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ about when you do (`brew upgrade`). This can be surprising.
 To remove a formula entirely, you may do
 (`brew uninstall formula_name --force`).
 
-Be careful as this is a destructive operation and unfortunately, in
+Be careful as this is a destructive operation.
-Homebrew 0.9.5 it seems that Homebrew does not support the `--dry-run`
-option.
 
 ### Where does stuff get downloaded?
 
@@ -86,16 +84,14 @@ alternative](https://developer.apple.com/legacy/library/qa/qa1067/_index.html).
 Read everything in https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md.
 
 ### Why do you compile everything?
-Projects distribute source tarballs, generally, but if they provide a
+Homebrew is about **homebrewing**, it’s half the point that you can just
-good binary, we’ll use it. Though we don’t always, because Homebrew is
-about **homebrewing**, it’s half the point that you can just
 `brew edit $FORMULA` and change how the formula is compiled to your own
 specification.
 
 Homebrew does provide pre-compiled versions for some formulae. These
 pre-compiled versions are referred to as **bottles** and are available
 at:
-[http://sf.net/projects/machomebrew/files](http://sf.net/projects/machomebrew/files).
+[https://bintray.com/homebrew/bottles](https://bintray.com/homebrew/bottles).
 
 If available, bottled binaries will be used by default except under the
 following conditions:
@@ -253,4 +249,4 @@ to with `brew link`.
 
 ### How can I specify different configure arguments for a formula?
 `brew edit $FORMULA` and edit the formula. Currently there is no
-other way to do this, but we’ll design something like that into brew2.
+other way to do this.