Python is one of the most well-liked programming languages in the world. It can be used for machine learning, web development, automation and data analysis. If you want to learn Python or use it for your projects you need to install it on your computer first. But how do you do that?
In this blog post, you will learn how to install Python in 3 easy steps. You will learn how to download the latest version of Python from the official website, how to run the installer and how to add Python to your system path. You will also learn how to install Python on different operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Ubuntu.
By the end of this post you will be able to start coding with Python on your machine. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Download Python
The first step to install Python is to download it from the Python website. There you will see a big banner at the top indicating the latest version of Python. As of this writing, the latest version is Python 3.11.4.
![download python button](https://mixiknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/download-python-button-jpg.webp)
Click on the “Download Python 3.11.4” button to download the installer for your operating system. You can also scroll down a bit and choose a specific version of Python if you need it.
Note: If you are not sure which version of Python to use I recommend choosing the latest one. It has more features, better performance and more community support than older versions. However, some older projects may require a specific version of Python to run properly. In that case you can install multiple versions of Python on your computer and switch between them as needed.
Step 2: Run the Installer
Now run the installer by double click or right click on it. Depending on your operating system the installer may look different but the process is similar.
Install Python on Windows
Double-click on the installer file that you downloaded. Then you will see a window pop-up like this one:
![Install Python windows Installer](https://mixiknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Install-Python-windows-Installer.webp)
Make sure to tick the box that says “Add Python.exe to PATH”. By doing this you will be able to run Python from any folder on your computer without typing the full path. After that click the Install Now option and follow the instructions.
Note: If you want more control over the installation options such as choosing a custom location or installing additional features you can click on “Customize installation” instead but I suggest you go with the Install Now option.
If you want to learn more about how to install Python on Windows correctly with proper setup check out our detailed guide on how to correctly install Python on Windows with environment setup.
Install Python on Mac
- Double-click on the installer file that you downloaded.
- Click on “Continue” and follow the instructions. You may need to enter your password and agree to some terms and conditions.
Note: If you want to install Python on Mac using Homebrew or Pyenv you can follow our guide on install Python MacBook.
Install Python on Ubuntu
If you are using Ubuntu or another Linux distribution you may already have Python installed by default. You can check by typing python --version
in your terminal. If you see something like this:
$ python --version
Python 3.8.10
Then congratulations you already have Python installed! You can skip this step and go to the next one.
However, if you see something like this:
$ python --version
Command 'python' not found...
Then you need to install Python manually. You can do that by typing these commands in your terminal:
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install python3
This will install the default version of Python 3 for your system. You can check by typing python3 --version
in your terminal.
Note: If you want to install a specific version of Python or use a virtual environment manager such as Anaconda or Pipenv you can follow our guide on how to install Python on Ubuntu.
Step 3: Test Your Installation
The final step is to test your installation and make sure everything works fine. To do that open your command prompt (Windows), terminal (Mac) or shell (Linux) and type python
or python3
. You should see something like this:
$ python
Python 3.11.4 (default, Jun 6 2023, 10:49:15)
[GCC 9.3.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>
This is the Python interactive shell where you can type and execute Python commands. For example, you can type print("Hello, world!")
and press Enter. You should see something like this:
>>> print("Hello, world!")
Hello, world!
>>>
If you see the output as expected then congratulations you have successfully installed Python on your computer! You can exit the shell by typing exit()
or pressing Ctrl+D.
Conclusion
You have learned how to install Python in 3 easy steps. You have downloaded the latest version of Python from the official website, run the installer and tested your installation. You are now ready to start coding with Python on your machine.
If you want to learn more about Python you can check out our other blog posts such as Python Introduction and 20 Features of Python that makes it awesome. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates and tips on Python and other programming topics.