diff --git a/build/config-mac.def b/build/config-mac.def
index 0a59aa9..9fbc4a2 100644
--- a/build/config-mac.def
+++ b/build/config-mac.def
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-# set PY_DEFAULT=0 if you manually installed Python on your system 
-# (overriding the one that came with OS X by default)
-PY_DEFAULT=1
+# which kind of Python installation to use
+#   system - macOS system default
+#   local - local installation
+#   conda - conda environment; specify the environment root dir using the
+#           PY_CONDA_ROOT environment variable
+PY_KIND=conda
 
 #########################################################################
 
@@ -11,7 +14,7 @@ PY_DEFAULT=1
 # Mac OSX 10.6 -> default Python version (major.minor) = 2.6
 
 PY_MAJOR_VERSION=2
-PY_MINOR_VERSION=6
+PY_MINOR_VERSION=7
 
 #########################################################################
 
@@ -19,7 +22,7 @@ PY_MINOR_VERSION=6
 # for info see http://numeric.scipy.org
 # numarray and numeric are outdated
 
-# PY_NUMPY=1
+PY_NUMPY=1
 # PY_NUMARRAY=1
 # PY_NUMERIC=1
 
diff --git a/build/gnumake-mac-gcc.inc b/build/gnumake-mac-gcc.inc
index 8806024..1ebf47a 100644
--- a/build/gnumake-mac-gcc.inc
+++ b/build/gnumake-mac-gcc.inc
@@ -1,3 +1,45 @@
+DEFS += -DPY_EXPORTS
+
+ifdef PY_NUMPY
+DEFS += -DPY_NUMPY
+endif
+
+ifdef PY_NUMARRAY
+DEFS += -DPY_NUMARRAY
+endif
+
+ifdef PY_NUMERIC
+DEFS += -DPY_NUMERIC
+endif
+
+ifdef PY_USE_GIL
+DEFS += -DPY_USE_GIL
+endif
+
+ifdef PY_USE_INOFFICIAL
+DEFS += -DPY_USE_INOFFICIAL
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(PY_KIND),conda)
+
+ifndef PY_CONDA_ROOT
+$(error PY_CONDA_ROOT is undefined)
+endif
+
+DEFS += -DPY_INTERPRETER=$(PY_CONDA_ROOT)/bin/python
+LIBS += $(PY_CONDA_ROOT)/lib/libpython$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION).dylib
+INCPATH += -I$(PY_CONDA_ROOT)/include
+INCPATH += -I$(PY_CONDA_ROOT)/include/python$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)
+LDFLAGS += -rpath $(PY_CONDA_ROOT)/lib
+
+ifdef PY_NUMPY
+INCPATH += -I$(PY_CONDA_ROOT)/lib/python$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)/site-packages/numpy/core/include
+endif
+
+else
+
+DEFS += -DPY_USE_FRAMEWORK
+
 # don't use -framework Python, since this will stick to the default system version
 
 _LOCAL_FRAMEWORK := /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)
@@ -5,10 +47,9 @@ _SYSTEM_FRAMEWORK := /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/$(PY_M
 _LOCAL_LIBRARY := /Library/Python/$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)
 _SYSTEM_LIBRARY := /System/Library/Python/$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)
 
-DEFS += -DPY_EXPORTS
 INCPATH += -F/Library/Frameworks -framework Python
 
-ifeq ($(PY_DEFAULT),1)
+ifeq ($(PY_KIND),system)
 LIBS += $(_SYSTEM_FRAMEWORK)/Python
 INCPATH += -I$(_SYSTEM_FRAMEWORK)/Headers
 else
@@ -16,27 +57,15 @@ LIBS += $(_LOCAL_FRAMEWORK)/Python
 INCPATH += -I$(_LOCAL_FRAMEWORK)/Headers
 endif
 
-ifdef PY_NUMARRAY
-DEFS += -DPY_NUMARRAY
-endif
 ifdef PY_NUMPY
-DEFS += -DPY_NUMPY
 INCPATH += -I$(_LOCAL_LIBRARY)/python$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)/site-packages/numpy/core/include
-ifeq ($(PY_DEFAULT),1)
+
+ifeq ($(PY_KIND),system)
 INCPATH += -I$(_SYSTEM_FRAMEWORK)/lib/python$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)/site-packages/numpy/core/include
 INCPATH += -I$(_SYSTEM_FRAMEWORK)/Extras/lib/python/numpy/core/include
 else
 INCPATH += -I$(_LOCAL_FRAMEWORK)/lib/python$(PY_MAJOR_VERSION).$(PY_MINOR_VERSION)/site-packages/numpy/core/include
 endif
 endif
-ifdef PY_NUMERIC
-DEFS += -DPY_NUMERIC
-endif
 
-ifdef PY_USE_GIL
-DEFS += -DPY_USE_GIL
-endif
-
-ifdef PY_USE_INOFFICIAL
-DEFS += -DPY_USE_INOFFICIAL
 endif
diff --git a/source/pybase.cpp b/source/pybase.cpp
index 826e6a4..6694d3e 100644
--- a/source/pybase.cpp
+++ b/source/pybase.cpp
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@ WARRANTIES, see the file, "license.txt," in this distribution.
 #include <ApplicationServices/ApplicationServices.h>
 #endif
 
+#define STRINGIFY(x) #x
+#define TOSTRING(x) STRINGIFY(x)
+
 static PyMethodDef StdOut_Methods[] =
 {
     { "write", pybase::StdOut_Write, 1 },
+    { "flush", pybase::StdOut_Flush, 1 },
     { NULL,    NULL,           }  
 };
 
@@ -98,8 +102,17 @@ void initsymbol();
 void initsamplebuffer();
 void initbundle();
 
+
+
 void pybase::lib_setup()
-{   
+{
+#ifdef PY_INTERPRETER
+    {
+        static char py_program_name[] = TOSTRING(PY_INTERPRETER);
+        Py_SetProgramName(py_program_name);
+    }
+#endif
+    
     post("");
     post("------------------------------------------------");
     post("py/pyext %s - python script objects",PY__VERSION);
@@ -776,6 +789,12 @@ PyObject* pybase::StdOut_Write(PyObject* self, PyObject* args)
     return Py_None;
 }
 
+// dummy flush method, since some logging libraries call this
+PyObject* pybase::StdOut_Flush(PyObject* self, PyObject* args)
+{
+    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+    return Py_None;
+}
 
 class work_data
 {
diff --git a/source/pybase.h b/source/pybase.h
index 8a3105e..cfda6bf 100644
--- a/source/pybase.h
+++ b/source/pybase.h
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ class pybase
     };
 
     static PyObject* StdOut_Write(PyObject* Self, PyObject* Args);
+    static PyObject* StdOut_Flush(PyObject* Self, PyObject* Args);
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/source/pybuffer.cpp b/source/pybuffer.cpp
index 4690381..81bb456 100644
--- a/source/pybuffer.cpp
+++ b/source/pybuffer.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ WARRANTIES, see the file, "license.txt," in this distribution.
 #ifdef PY_ARRAYS
 
 #ifdef PY_NUMARRAY
-#   if FLEXT_OS == FLEXT_OS_MAC
+#   ifdef PY_USE_FRAMEWORK
 #       include <Python/numarray/libnumarray.h>
 #   else
 #       include <numarray/libnumarray.h>
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ inline bool arrsupport() { return numtype != tAny; }
 #   if defined(PY_NUMPY)
 #       include <numpy/arrayobject.h>
 #   else
-#       if FLEXT_OS == FLEXT_OS_MAC
+#       ifdef PY_USE_FRAMEWORK
 #           include <Python/numarray/arrayobject.h>
 #       else
 #           include <numarray/arrayobject.h>
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ PyObject *pybase::py_arraysupport(PyObject *self,PyObject *args)
 // PD defines a T_OBJECT symbol
 #undef T_OBJECT
 
-#if FLEXT_OS == FLEXT_OS_MAC
+#ifdef PY_USE_FRAMEWORK
 #include "Python/bufferobject.h"
 #include "Python/structmember.h"
 #else
diff --git a/source/pybuffer.h b/source/pybuffer.h
index 5869d13..d7ad071 100644
--- a/source/pybuffer.h
+++ b/source/pybuffer.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ WARRANTIES, see the file, "license.txt," in this distribution.
 #error You need at least flext version 0.5.0
 #endif
 
-#if FLEXT_OS == FLEXT_OS_MAC
+#ifdef PY_USE_FRAMEWORK
 #include <Python/Python.h>
 #else
 #include <Python.h>
diff --git a/source/pybundle.h b/source/pybundle.h
index b397ffb..f862235 100644
--- a/source/pybundle.h
+++ b/source/pybundle.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ WARRANTIES, see the file, "license.txt," in this distribution.
 #error You need at least flext version 0.5.0
 #endif
 
-#if FLEXT_OS == FLEXT_OS_MAC
+#ifdef PY_USE_FRAMEWORK
 #include <Python/Python.h>
 #else
 #include <Python.h>
diff --git a/source/pyprefix.h b/source/pyprefix.h
index 8b242a4..e9a624c 100644
--- a/source/pyprefix.h
+++ b/source/pyprefix.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ WARRANTIES, see the file, "license.txt," in this distribution.
 // otherwise some functions don't get defined
 #include <cmath>
 
-#if FLEXT_OS == FLEXT_OS_MAC
+#ifdef PY_USE_FRAMEWORK
 #include <Python/Python.h>
 #else
 #include <Python.h>
diff --git a/source/pysymbol.h b/source/pysymbol.h
index 0febfde..0b66138 100644
--- a/source/pysymbol.h
+++ b/source/pysymbol.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ WARRANTIES, see the file, "license.txt," in this distribution.
 #error You need at least flext version 0.5.0
 #endif
 
-#if FLEXT_OS == FLEXT_OS_MAC
+#ifdef PY_USE_FRAMEWORK
 #include <Python/Python.h>
 #else
 #include <Python.h>