Only adding this because I tried using the kyng chaos tools, but on my Mac OS X machine I was able to very, very easily install this with Anaconda
conda install gdal
Posting in case anyone finds this again - I realize the original post is 3 years old.
I rarely use the OSGEO4W shell, although I have it because I used it to download some utilities. If you have QGIS you have most of the GDAL tools in the QGIS install directory already. If you prefer you can download 32 and 64 bit GDAL/OGR from http://www.gisinternals.com/sdk/ I did because I wanted the lib and include files but find that version works well with the utilities as well.
In order to use GDAL/OGR on the command line without invoking the shell you must set some environment variables so that required files can be found; I use windows so the environments are windows flavored but I assume that Mac and Linux are similar.
// GDAL folders from http://www.gisinternals.com/sdk/
GDAL_DATA C:\Program Files\GDAL\gdal-data // csv's and stuff
GDAL_DRIVER_PATH C:\Program Files\GDAL\gdalplugins // gdal_ECW_JP2ECW.dll, gdal_HDF6.dll...
GEOTIFF_CSV C:\Program Files\GDAL\gdal-data // csv's and stuff
PROJ_LIB C:\Program Files\GDAL\projlib // nad.lst...
PATH %PATH%;C:\Program Files\GDAL // GDAL_TRANSLATE.exe ...
// QGIS folders
GDAL_DATA C:\Program Files\QGIS Dufour\share\gdal // csv's and stuff
GDAL_DRIVER_PATH C:\Program Files\QGIS Dufour\bin\gdalplugins // gdal_ECW_JP2ECW.dll, gdal_HDF6.dll...
GEOTIFF_CSV C:\Program Files\QGIS Dufour\share\epsg_csv // csv's and stuff
PROJ_LIB C:\Program Files\QGIS Dufour\share\proj // nad.lst...
PATH %PATH%;C:\Program Files\QGIS Dufour\bin // GDAL_TRANSLATE.exe ...
After you have set these environment variables GDAL should work just fine in a normal command (cmd) window.
Interrogate your PATH environment before setting, you might find the path already contains the right folder. Be aware that when windows searches for programs it looks in the current folder and then the paths (separaed by semi-colons ';') from first to last, earlier instances in the path will be executed as soon as there's a match! The order of extensions, unless implicitly supplied (like do_this.py is calling specifically for a python file), is governed by the pathext environment (usually .COM; .EXE; .BAT; .CMD; .VBS; .VBE; .JS; .JSE; .WSF; .WSH; .MSC
)
For example: when you call gdal_translate the system looks in the current folder for a file called gdal_translate (not case sensitive) and then looks in the first path, the next and all the paths and then if it's not found returns 'is not recognized as an internal or external command operable program or batch file.' so it is not really needed to modify the path if you are in the folder that the program is.
Best Answer
If you are looking for pure python with gdal on your cmd you need to do follow steps:
Step 1: Install pure python from python.org
Feel free to download the latest 2.7x version of python (rather than the 3.x python version). Install python with the default options and directories.
Step 2: Next Install the GDAL Binaries
Head over to Tamas Szekeres’ Windows binaries and download the appropriate GDAL Binary.
Install gdal core and next install gdal bindings for your version python.
Step 3: Adding Path Variables:
Right click on “Computer” on the desktop and go to “Properties”
Click on Advanced System Properties
Select Environment Variables.
Under the System variables pane, find the ‘Path’ variable, then click on Edit.
Go to the end of the box and copy and paste the following:
;C:\Program Files (x86)\GDAL
Note: For 64-bit GDAL installations you would simply remove the (x86) after Program Files.In the same System variables pane, click on “New” and then add the following in the dialogue box:
Variable name:
GDAL_DATA
Variable value:
C:\Program Files (x86)\GDAL\gdal-data
Click “OK”
Add one more new variable by clicking “New…”
Add the following in the dialogue box:
Variable name:
GDAL_DRIVER_PATH
Variable value:
C:\Program Files (x86)\GDAL\gdalplugins
For testing GDAL install open command line and type:
gdalinfo --version