Python 3 Installation & Setup Guide

Table of Contents

• Windows: How to Check or Get Python
  • Checking the Python Version on Windows
  • Knowing the Python Installation Options on Windows
• Windows: How to Install Python From the Microsoft Store
  • Step 1: Open the Python App Page on the Microsoft Store
  • Step 2: Install the Python Install Manager App
• Windows: How to Install Python Using the Traditional Installer
  • Step 1: Download the Traditional Python Installer
  • Step 2: Run the Python Installer
• macOS: How to Check or Get Python
  • Checking the Python Version on macOS
  • Knowing the Python Installation Options on macOS
• macOS: How to Install Python Using the Official Installer
  • Step 1: Download the Python Official Installer
  • Step 2: Run the Python Installer
• macOS: How to Install Python From Homebrew
  • Step 1: Install the Homebrew Package Manager
  • Step 2: Install Python With Homebrew
• Linux: How to Check or Get Python
  • Checking the Python Version on Linux
  • Knowing the Python Installation Options on Linux
• Linux: How to Build Python From Source Code
  • Step 1: Download the Python Source Code
  • Step 2: Prepare Your System for Building Python
  • Step 3: Build and Install Python on Your System
  • Step 4: Verify Your Python Installation
• iOS: How to Install Python
• Android: How to Install Python on Android
• Online: How to Use a Python Playground
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions

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• Installing Python on Windows, macOS, and Linux (10m)

To learn how to install Python on your system, you can follow a few straightforward steps. First, check if Python is already installed by opening a command-line interface and typing python --version or python3 --version.

You can install Python on Windows using the official installer from Python.org or through the Microsoft Store. On macOS, you can use the official installer or Homebrew. For Linux, use your package manager or build Python from source.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll understand how to:

• Check if Python is installed by running python --version or python3 --version in a command-line interface.
• Upgrade Python by downloading and installing the latest version from Python.org.
• Install and manage multiple Python versions with pyenv to keep them separate.

This tutorial covers installing the latest Python on the most important platforms or operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. However, it doesn’t cover all the existing Linux distributions, as that would be a massive task. Nevertheless, you’ll find instructions for the most popular distributions available today.

To get the most out of this tutorial, you should be comfortable using your operating system’s terminal or command line.

Free Bonus: Click here to get a Python Cheat Sheet and learn the basics of Python 3, like working with data types, dictionaries, lists, and Python functions.

Take the Quiz: Test your knowledge with our interactive “How to Install Python on Your System: A Guide” quiz. You’ll receive a score upon completion to help you track your learning progress:

Interactive Quiz

How to Install Python on Your System: A Guide

In this quiz, you'll test your understanding of how to install or update Python on your computer. With this knowledge, you'll be able to set up Python on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Windows: How to Check or Get Python

In this section, you’ll learn to check whether Python is installed on your Windows operating system (OS) and which version you have. You’ll also explore three installation options that you can use on Windows.

Note: In this tutorial, you’ll focus on installing the latest version of Python in your current operating system (OS) rather than on installing multiple versions of Python. If you want to install several versions of Python in your OS, then check out the Managing Multiple Python Versions With pyenv tutorial. Note that on Windows machines, you’d have to use pyenv-win instead of pyenv.

For a more comprehensive guide on setting up a Windows machine for Python programming, check out Your Python Coding Environment on Windows: Setup Guide.

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Checking the Python Version on Windows

To check whether you already have Python on your Windows machine, open a command-line application like PowerShell or the Windows Terminal.

Follow the steps below to open PowerShell on Windows:

1. Press the Win key.
2. Type PowerShell.
3. Press Enter.

Alternatively, you can right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell or Windows PowerShell (Admin). In some versions of Windows, you’ll find Terminal or Terminal (admin).

Note: To learn more about your options for the Windows terminal, check out Your Python Coding Environment on Windows: Setup Guide.

With the command line open, type in the following command and press the Enter key:

Windows PowerShell PS> python --version Python 3.x.z