Tutorial to Install PSPP on Mac

PSPP is an open source program, the free alternative for IBM SPSS Statistics program. Both versions are very powerful tools for a statistician and can be used via graphical interface or via the command line, using almost the same syntax.

The problem is that IBM SPSS Statistics costs more than $1,000 (approximately €923). It has a lot of pricing models.

So, if you want to try out the free version, PSPP, you have a problem: there is no binary, there’s only the program source code. You could try to compile the program, but it might turn out to be an impossible task, with an infinity of dependencies that have to be installed, each requiring another dependency.

The good news is there is a simpler way, one that is easy to access by the average user and that implies using Macports.

Step-by-step installation

The entire process takes about an hour, depending on your internet connection. You will now understand why the direct compilation of the program is almost impossible.

Follow these steps and be careful not to skip any of them; otherwise, the whole process might be compromised. Get to the next step only after you’ve finished with the current one.

1. Download and install Macports from the official site and make sure you select your installed Mac OS version (packages are available all the way back to OS X 10.4 Tiger).

2. Download and install Xcode, Apple's own development environment. Note that for beta versions you will need to be registered as an Apple developer and have your Apple ID ready.

3. Install "Command line developer tools". For this you need to go to Terminal (after the install process of Xcode is complete) and enter this command:

5. Download and install XQuartz and restart your Mac to conclude the prerequisites portion of this guide.

6. Finally, install PSPP by using these commands in the Terminal app. The process will take about an hour, so go get yourself a cup of coffee.