0) Get Anaconda Python 1) Download CMake for Mac and ensure you add the command line binaries to your PATH (sudo "/Applications/CMake.app/Contents/bin/cmake-gui" --install) 2) Download OpenCV 3) cd into the OpenCV director and run `mkdir build` 4) cd into the `build` director you just created and run the following: Make sure you update the path to your own installation of Anaconda (i.e. replace "sramanujam" in the following with your user name). cmake ../ -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RELEASE -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=ON -DBUILD_NEW_PYTHON_SUPPORT=ON -DINSTALL_PYTHON_EXAMPLES=ON -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/bin/python -DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/include/python2.7/ -DPYTHON_LIBRARY=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/lib/libpython2.7.dylib -DPYTHON_NUMPY_INCLUDE_DIR=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/numpy/core/include/ -DPYTHON_PACKAGES_PATH=/Users/sramanujam/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ -DBUILD_PYTHON_SUPPORT=ON You should see the following in the console log which confirms that Python module will be build: -- To be built: hal core flann imgproc ml photo video imgcodecs shape videoio highgui objdetect superres ts features2d calib3d stitching videostab python2 5) Run: make; sudo make install 6) Switch to the Python directory (OPENCV_HOME/build/modules/python2) and run: make sudo make install This will install cv2.so in your Python's site-packages directory 7) Open up your Python REPL and import cv2, it should work Here's a sample log (of the last couple of steps): sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build| ⇒ cd modules sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules| ⇒ ls CMakeFiles cudacodec cudastereo imgcodecs python2 videostab Makefile cudafeatures2d cudawarping imgproc shape viz calib3d cudafilters cudev java stitching world cmake_install.cmake cudaimgproc features2d ml superres core cudalegacy flann objdetect ts cudaarithm cudaobjdetect hal photo video cudabgsegm cudaoptflow highgui python videoio sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules| ⇒ cd python2 sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2| ⇒ ls CMakeFiles headers.txt pyopencv_generated_ns_reg.h Makefile pyopencv_generated_funcs.h pyopencv_generated_type_reg.h cmake_install.cmake pyopencv_generated_include.h pyopencv_generated_types.h sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2| ⇒ make [ 2%] Built target opencv_hal [ 7%] Built target zlib [ 15%] Built target opencv_core [ 23%] Built target opencv_imgproc [ 25%] Built target opencv_video [ 28%] Built target opencv_ml [ 35%] Built target libtiff [ 46%] Built target libjpeg [ 53%] Built target libwebp [ 58%] Built target libjasper [ 61%] Built target libpng [ 74%] Built target IlmImf [ 76%] Built target opencv_imgcodecs [ 79%] Built target opencv_videoio [ 79%] Built target opencv_highgui [ 79%] Built target opencv_objdetect [ 79%] Built target opencv_flann [ 84%] Built target opencv_features2d [ 89%] Built target opencv_calib3d [ 92%] Built target opencv_stitching [ 92%] Built target opencv_superres [ 92%] Built target opencv_shape [ 97%] Built target opencv_photo [100%] Built target opencv_videostab [100%] Built target opencv_python2 sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2| ⇒ sudo make install [ 2%] Built target opencv_hal [ 7%] Built target zlib [ 15%] Built target opencv_core [ 23%] Built target opencv_imgproc [ 25%] Built target opencv_video [ 28%] Built target opencv_ml [ 35%] Built target libtiff [ 46%] Built target libjpeg [ 53%] Built target libwebp [ 58%] Built target libjasper [ 61%] Built target libpng [ 74%] Built target IlmImf [ 76%] Built target opencv_imgcodecs [ 79%] Built target opencv_videoio [ 79%] Built target opencv_highgui [ 79%] Built target opencv_objdetect [ 79%] Built target opencv_flann [ 84%] Built target opencv_features2d [ 89%] Built target opencv_calib3d [ 92%] Built target opencv_stitching [ 92%] Built target opencv_superres [ 92%] Built target opencv_shape [ 97%] Built target opencv_photo [100%] Built target opencv_videostab [100%] Built target opencv_python2 Install the project... -- Install configuration: "RELEASE" -- Installing: /usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/cv2.so sramanujam@srivatsan-ramanujams-macbook-pro:~/Downloads/opencv-3.0.0/build/modules/python2| ⇒ python Python 2.7.11 |Anaconda 2.2.0 (x86_64)| (default, Dec 6 2015, 18:57:58) [GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5577)] on darwin Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. Anaconda is brought to you by Continuum Analytics. Please check out: http://continuum.io/thanks and https://anaconda.org >>> import cv2 >>>