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0.0. Installing Python.md

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0.0 Installing Python

Installing Python is easy, but the instructions are different depending on your operating system. Below are instructions specific to your operating system. But no matter your operating system, the first steps are the same:

  1. Go to the Python website http://python.org.
  2. Hover your mouse over (do not click on!) the Downloads button, as shown in the picture below, and then click on your operating system.
  3. After clicking on your operating system at python.org, follow the operating system-specific instructions below. Image of Python.org's OS dropdown menu

Mac

Mac OS already comes with Python installed, but it is not the newest version, and it will not work for this class, so we need to install a different version. 4. Once you have clicked on the "macOS" link in the window above, you will see a list of Python versions under "Stable Versions." Click on the link "Download macOS 64-bit universal2 installer" under the Python 3.12.0 - Oct. 2, 2023 line. This will download Python into your downloads folder. 5. Go to your downloads folder and find the file named "python-3.12.0-macos11.pkg". Double-click and open the file to start the installer. 6. Click the "Continue" and "Agree" buttons to complete the installation. Do not customize the installation in any way unless you really know what you are doing, as this will make some later instructions not work.

Once you are done (or think you are), continue to the next section, where you will be able to test to see if you have installed everything correctly.

Windows (version 7 and above)

Installing Python on Windows is very easy, but there is one critical step that is important to get right. If you are using an older version of Windows (like Windows XP), check with your instructor before proceeding. 4. Once you have clicked on the "Windows" link in the image above, you will see a section labeled "Stable Releases." and below that, a bunch of links to different Python versions. Find (but do not click on) the version labeled "Python 3.12.0 - Oct. 2, 2023". This is the version we will use in this class. 5. Under the link labeled Python 3.12.0 - Oct. 2, 2023", you will find links to a bunch of different ways to install. Find the link labeled "Download Windows Installer (64-bit)". This is the version we will use in this class. In some cases (older computers or computers with very small amounts of memory), you may need to use the "Download Windows Installer (32-bit)" instead. If you are worried about this, ask your instructor. Whichever you choose, click the link to download the installer into your downloads directory. 6. Find the installer program called "python-3.12.0-amd64.exe" (or "python-3.12.0.exe" if you downloaded the 32-bit version) in your downloads directory, and open it to run the installer. 7. You will see a sequence of windows asking you to click "Next" or "I Agree." Do so, but it is VERY IMPORTANT that when you see the window that says "Add python.exe to PATH" (as shown in the image below), you click the "Add Python to My Path." If you forget to do this, you will need to uninstall Python and start over. Screenshot of windows python installer

Once you are done (or think you are), continue to the next section, where you will be able to test to see if you have installed everything correctly.

Linux/Unix

If you are using Linux in this class, then I am going to assume you already know what you are doing a bit and will just be able to follow the instructions here: https://docs.python-guide.org/starting/install3/linux/

But make one change. These instructions are for installing Python 3.8, and we will be using Python 3.11.1. So everywhere in those instructions that you see Python 3.8, type Python 3.11.1 instead. If you have questions or problems, contact your instructor.

Next: 0.1. Creating & Running Python Programs