Installing MesoMath#

Prerequisites#

Python: Version 3.10 or higher.
pip or pipx: Latest version recommended.

Standard Installation Using `pip` or `pipx`#

`pipx` (Recommended for most users)#

This is the simplest way to install MesoMath as a standalone tool without worrying about Python environments.

$ pipx install mesomath

This will install the following MesoMath commands in your system’s PATH:

babcalc: The interactive Mesopotamian calculator.
ibabcalc: The advanced Mesopotamian interactive calculator.

If you cannot run the commands after installation, try:

$ pipx ensurepath

To uninstall the package at any time, simply run:

$ pipx uninstall mesomath

`pip` (Virtual Environment)#

If you prefer using standard pip, it is highly recommended to use a virtual environment:

$python -m venv myenv$ source myenv/bin/activate  # On Windows use: myenv\Scripts\activate
$ pip install mesomath

Once installed, you can run any of the tools directly (e.g., $ babcalc).

Font Configuration (Unicode Cuneiform)#

MesoMath requires a font compatible with the Unicode Cuneiform standard to correctly display the glyphs. We recommend Google’s Noto Sans Cuneiform.

1. Font Download#

Visit Google Noto Fonts.
Click on Download Family.
Unzip the .zip file to obtain the NotoSansCuneiform-Regular.ttf file.

2. Installation by Operating System#

🐧 Linux#

On most distributions, simply move the file to your local fonts directory:

Create the directory if it doesn’t exist: mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fonts (or ~/.fonts on older systems).
Copy the file: cp NotoSansCuneiform-Regular.ttf ~/.local/share/fonts/
Update the font cache: fc-cache -f -v

🪟 [W] Windows#

Windows offers two methods, one of which does not require administrator privileges:

Quick Method: Right-click on the .ttf file.
Select “Install for all users” (requires Admin privileges) or simply “Install” (for the current user).
Alternatively, you can drag the file to the C:\Windows\Fonts folder.

🍎 macOS#

The process on Mac is very intuitive using the Font Catalog:

Double-click the NotoSansCuneiform-Regular.ttf file.
A preview window will open. Click the Install Font button.
The font will be automatically saved to ~/Library/Fonts and will be available to all your applications (including Terminal).

3. Verification#

Once installed, restart your terminal or IDE and run this test command in Python to confirm that the system recognizes the glyphs:

# Quick Render Test
print("\n\t𒄘 ╼60╾ 𒈠𒈾 ╼60╾ 𒂆\n")

If you see the cuneiform characters clearly (and not rectangles), the installation was a success!

𒁲
Status	Environment Ready
	𒁲

⚙️ Editor Configuration (Optional)#

If you’re using a code editor, make sure to add ‘Noto Sans Cuneiform’ to your font family list so the internal console displays MesoMath results correctly.

VS Code#

Go to Settings (Ctrl + ,).
Search for Editor: Font Family.
Add 'Noto Sans Cuneiform' to the beginning of the list (e.g., 'Noto Sans Cuneiform', 'Consoles', 'Courier New').

PyCharm#

Go to Settings > Editor > Font.
Make sure the “Enable ligatures” box is checked and add the font as a “Fallback font” or primary font.

Developer Installation from Sources#

Clone the repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/jccsvq/mesomath.git
$ cd mesomath

We recommend using hatch for development:

$ hatch shell

This creates an isolated environment with all dependencies (including typing-extensions) and installs mesomath in editable mode.

Verification#

To verify the installation, check the version of the calculator:

$ babcalc --help
babcalc 2.1.0 - Command Line Interface

Usage:
  babcalc                 Launch interactive REPL
  babcalc <script.py>     Execute a script
  babcalc -i <script.py>  Execute a script and stay in interactive mode
  babcalc -m <module>     Run a library module (Reserved for future use)
  babcalc --help          Show this message

jccsvq dub-sar fecit, 2025. Public domain.

Troubleshooting#

If you encounter issues during installation or while running the tools, check the following common solutions:

“Command not found” after installation#

This usually happens when your Python script directory is not in your system’s PATH.

**If using pipx**: Run pipx ensurepath to automatically add the necessary directories to your profile.
**If using pip**: Ensure you have activated your virtual environment (source myenv/bin/activate) before running the commands.
Manual Check: Verify that the scripts listed in pyproject.toml (like babcalc or mtlookup) are present in your environment’s bin (Linux/macOS) or Scripts (Windows) folder.

Python Version Mismatch#

MesoMath requires Python 3.10 or higher.

Check your version by running $ python --version.
If your system’s default python is an older version (e.g., 3.8), try using python3 instead:

$ python3 -m venv myenv

The package uses typing-extensions to ensure compatibility with modern type hints on older supported versions of Python.

Conflicts with other packages#

If you see errors related to dependency versions:

Isolated Environment: We strongly recommend using a virtual environment or pipx to avoid conflicts with other installed Python tools.
Hatch Users: If hatch shell fails, try cleaning the environment first:

$ hatch env prune

SyntaxWarnings in Documentation (Developers)#

If you see a SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence when building the docs, ensure your conf.py uses a raw string for the copy button prompt:

# Correct way:
copybutton_prompt_text = r"--> |\.\.\. |\$ "

Installing MesoMath

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