Python Installation and Setup

Installing Python on Windows

1. Go to python.org/downloads and download the latest Python 3 installer
2. Run the installer and tick the box "Add Python to PATH" — this step is important
3. Click "Install Now" and wait for setup to finish
4. Open Command Prompt and confirm the install

Installing Python on Mac

macOS often ships with an old Python version, so install the latest one separately. Download the macOS installer from python.org, or if you use Homebrew, run brew install python3 in the terminal.

Installing Python on Linux

Most Linux distributions include Python already. To install or upgrade it on Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, use your package manager.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

Checking Your Python Version

Once installed, always confirm the installation by checking the version number from your terminal or command prompt.

python --version
# or on Mac/Linux
python3 --version

Choosing an Editor: IDLE vs VS Code

Python comes bundled with a simple built-in editor called IDLE, which is fine for quick tests. For serious practice, most developers use Visual Studio Code (VS Code) with the free Python extension, which adds auto-complete, error highlighting and an integrated terminal.

Writing and Running Your First Script

Create a new file named hello.py, add one line of code, save it, then run it from your terminal.

print("Python is set up correctly!")

python hello.py