Installing Python on Your Computer

In this tutorial, we'll walk through the process of installing Python on your computer. We'll cover installation for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

Before You Start

Python comes in different versions. We recommend installing Python 3.x (the latest stable version) as it's the current standard and includes all modern features.

Installing Python on Windows

1. Visit python.org/downloads
2. Click "Download Python 3.x.x" (latest version)
3. Run the installer
4. Important: Check "Add Python to PATH" during installation

1python --version
2# Output: Python 3.x.x

Installing Python on macOS

Method 1: Using Homebrew (Recommended)

1# Install Homebrew first (if not installed)
2/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
3
4# Install Python
5brew install python3

Method 2: Using the Official Installer

1. Download the macOS installer from python.org
2. Open the .pkg file and follow the installation wizard
3. Verify installation in Terminal:

1python3 --version
2# Output: Python 3.x.x

Installing Python on Linux

Most Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed. If you need to install it manually:

Ubuntu/Debian:

1sudo apt update
2sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

Fedora:

1sudo dnf install python3 python3-pip

Setting Up a Code Editor

While you can write Python code in any text editor, we recommend using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or code editor for a better coding experience.

Verifying Your Installation

Let's test your Python installation by running a simple program. Open your terminal or command prompt and type:

1python3
2>>> print("Hello, Python!")
3Hello, Python!
4>>> 2 + 2
54
6>>> exit()  # To exit Python interpreter