Installing using MacPorts
How to install Solfege on a Mac, using MacPorts:
- Install MacPorts. The instructions are at the MacPorts website, but one point needs emphasis: you need certain versions of Xcode for your system (version 3.2.1 or later for Snow Leopard, 3.1.4 or later for Leopard, or 2.5 for Tiger, as of January 2011). The versions that came with your system DVDs might be current enough, and if not, some newer versions of Xcode can update themselves through Software Update. But there is a chance you might need to download the current version from the Apple Developer Connection site. The good news: it's easy. You sign up for a Developer Connection account, then you download the Xcode package, then you double-click to install. The bad news: the download can be as large as 1GB.
- Once MacPorts is installed, open a terminal window and type "sudo port install solfege" (without quotes), and enter your password when prompted. MacPorts will do its work for a while, first building dependencies and then building Solfege itself.
- Start Solfege by typing "solfege" at the prompt in any terminal window.
Back to the main Solfege on Mac OS X page.
Troubleshooting and alternatives:
- If step 3 doesn't work, try typing /opt/local/bin/solfege at the prompt.
- (Jim Lynch suggests the following, though Allen McBride fears this may limit your ability to install other software via MacPorts. If you try this, please let us know how it goes by editing this page.) If you want the underlying libraries (gtk, pango, cairo) to be built to use the mac display system rather than X, add +quartz and +no_x11 to /opt/local/etc/macports/variants.conf (or (your prefix)/etc/macports/variants.conf) before running sudo port install solfege; alternatively you can equivalently run 'port install solfege +quartz +no_x11'.
- Jim Lynch asks: can an easy, one-file installer be built with enough results from the build to run solfege? will it require a different build per version of macosx?
- Allen McBride responds: I have tried this and have not succeeded, though in theory it may be possible.

I've tried both methods of installing Solfege on Mac Osx and both times it failed to load the dependencies.
Here is the output of the last attempt:
bobs-macbook:~ robertinglis$ sudo port install solfege +quartz +no_x11
Password:
---> Computing dependencies for solfege
---> Dependencies to be installed: py27-gtk py27-cairo py27-numpy atlas gcc44 mpfr gzip texinfo fftw-3 py27-nose py27-distribute py27-py py27-gobject libffi qtplay
---> Configuring mpfr
Error: Target org.macports.configure returned: configure failure: shell command failed (see log for details)
Error: Failed to install mpfr
Log for mpfr is at: /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_ports_devel_mpfr/main.log
Error: The following dependencies were not installed: py27-gtk py27-cairo py27-numpy atlas gcc44 mpfr gzip texinfo fftw-3 py27-nose py27-distribute py27-py py27-gobject libffi qtplay
Error: Status 1 encountered during processing.
To report a bug, see <http://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets>
bobs-macbook:~ robertinglis$
Similar to the first attempt without the +options.
I'm a fan of solfege, as is my teacher. But reading about the sub-programs and sub-sub-programs that I apparently would have to install to make your solfege program work made my head hurt. I'm not too inclined to install a bunch of developer programs I don't understand. I'd very much like to use your program, but . . . the downloading and installation process is intimidating.
Eu em conjunto com meu professor estamos tentando instalar o Solfege, mas sem sucesso.
Já instalei o Xcode 4 e mesmo assim não funcionou. Tentamos com "Fink" e "MacPorts" e nenhum deu certo.
Preciso do Solfege no meu MacBook para fazer minha monografia (trabalho de conclusão do curso de licenciatura em música).
Alguma solução?
Me ajudem!!!
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I together with my teacher we are trying to install Solfege, but without success.
I have already installed the Xcode 4 and still did not work. We try to "Fink" and "MacPorts" and none worked.
I need Solfege on my MacBook to my monograph (final paper of the degree course in music).
Any solution?
Help me, help us!!!
Send a question to the mailing list (solfege-devel@lists.sourceforge.net) and ask for help. Maybe some of the mac people has some suggestions.
i did it and it works!
but if you want to open solfege type "solfege" (without quotes) and type it again in the line below.
now it will start.
lg Tine