How Do I Install Python Correctly?

How Do I Install Python Correctly?

The Python programming language is becoming more and more well-liked among developers of all skill levels. Python is a powerful and adaptable language that excels at back-end programming, automation, data analysis, machine learning, and scripting. This comprehensive guide will teach you how to install Python on your computer. Find out how to utilize Python on your computer in many ways, regardless of whether you use Windows or macOS. Discover the reason behind the bright future of Python and upskill at SLA Jobs.

How Do I Install Python on Windows?

There are various ways to install Python on a Windows machine. The choices we’ll look at in this session are listed below:

Install Python from the Microsoft Store directly: You can quickly become proficient with Python with this simple and quick solution. For novices who wish to utilize Python on their computer for learning, it is really helpful.

Install Python straight from the Python website: Using this option will allow you to customize your installation and have more control over the installation procedure.

Use the Anaconda distribution to install Python: Anaconda is a well-liked Python distribution that has a ton of pre-installed tools and packages, which makes it a fantastic choice for data research and scientific computing. 

Whichever method you decide on, you can start using Python on your Windows computer in a few simple steps. Sometimes, Python may come pre-installed on your computer. Here’s how to find out if Python is installed on your Windows computer.

Suggested Read: Role of Python in Artificial Intelligence

Verifying Whether Your Windows Computer Has Python Installed

You can use the Start Menu or the terminal to access Python.

Follow these procedures at the terminal to see if Python is installed on your Windows computer:

• Launch a command line utility, like Command Prompt (the default on Windows 10) or Windows Terminal (the default on Windows 11).
• Enter {python} into the command line. If Python is installed, the Python prompt, which looks like this “>>>,” should appear after a notification stating something like “Python 3.x.x.” Keep in mind that “3.x.x” is the Python version number.
• You will be sent to the Python installation page on the Microsoft Store if Python is not already installed on your computer. 

Be aware that Python may not be at its most recent version on the page you are taken to.

Check your Windows computer’s Start Menu to determine if Python is installed. Or do the following steps.

• To access the Start Menu, either click the Start button or press the Windows key. Put “python” in the search bar.
• If Python is installed, it ought to show up as the best match. To open the preferred Python version, click or hit “Enter”. A message indicating something like “Python 3.x.x” should come before the Python prompt, which looks like this “>>>.” Remember that the version number of Python is “3.x.x”.
• You will only see results from web searches for “python” or a recommendation to look for “python” in the Microsoft Store if Python is not installed on your computer.

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How to Utilize the Microsoft Store to Install Python on Windows

To install Python on a Windows PC, use the Microsoft Store and follow these steps:

1. On your Windows computer, launch the Microsoft Store application. To accomplish this, go to the Start menu and type “Microsoft Store.”
2. Use the Microsoft Store app to look up “Python.” Several “Python X.X” apps ought to appear in the search results. The variations of Python that are accessible in the Microsoft Store are denoted by X.X. In general, use the most recent version of Python, 3.11 at the time of writing.
3. To access the app page, click on the app.
4. To start the installation procedure, click the “Get” button.
5. The Microsoft Store will download and install Python on your PC. This can require several minutes, contingent upon the speed of your internet connection.
6. To verify that Python has been installed correctly, follow the directions in the section “Checking if Python is Already Installed on Your Windows Machine” after the installation is finished.
7. The IDLE Shell, a straightforward IDE for executing Python commands, is also included with this Python installation. To find the IDLE Shell, look for it under the all apps part of the Start menu.

As mentioned before, Python is mainly available for educational use and can be installed through the Microsoft Store. “The Microsoft Store package is an accessible Python interpreter that is designed mainly for interactive use, for example, by learners,” according to the Python manual. You can also learn Python programming through the top 5 IDEs for Python practices.

How Do I Install Python on Windows from the Python Website?

Follow these steps to install Python on your Windows computer using the complete installer available on the Python website:

1. Access the download page for Python.
2. Select the most recent Python version by clicking the link under the “Python Releases for Windows” section (e.g., as of this writing, the most recent version of Python is Python 3.11.1).
3. Select the Python version marked as “Windows installer (64-bit)” from the download page.
4. To start the installation procedure, open the installer file after the download is finished.
5. You will see an option to “Add Python 3.x to PATH” once the installer opens. This is only advised if you wish to use Python from the terminal (instead of an IDE) and you are installing a single version of the language rather than several versions.
6. To start the installation, click the “Install Now” button. It will take some time. Be aware that you might be prompted to select the features you wish to have installed before selecting “Install Now.” It is advised that you go with the default installation unless you have particular modification requests.
7. ‘Disable path length limit’ will be an option presented to you after the installation is finished. This can help prevent problems with long auto-generated file paths; thus, it’s recommended for Python development even though it’s not required for regular Python use.
8. To end the installation, click the “Close” button.
9. To verify that Python has been installed correctly, follow the directions in the section “Checking if Python is Already Installed on Your Windows Machine” after the installation is finished.

Recommended Read: Top Reasons Why You Should Choose Python for Big Data

Installing Python on a Windows Computer Making Use of Anaconda

Various Python distributions come with the required packages and tools pre-installed. The most popular distribution is Anaconda Python, which comes with a ton of pre-installed data science tools and packages. To get Python, use an Anaconda distribution and follow these steps:

1. Visit the download page for Anaconda.
2. You can find various versions of the Anaconda Installer by scrolling down to the “Anaconda Installers” section. As of this writing, you can click on the “64-Bit Graphical Installer” for Python 3.9 to install the latest version of Python on Windows.
3. The installer file is downloaded to your local computer. After the download is complete, click the installer to begin the installation process.
4. Double-clicking the file will start the installation procedure after the download is finished.
5. To finish the installation, select Continue and check the licensing agreement until the installer begins to extract files and the installation is finished.
6. The “Add Anaconda3 to my PATH environment variable” option is available to you on the “Advanced Installations Options” screen. Only the Anaconda Python installation (instead of several versions) and the desire to utilize the Conda tool from the terminal (instead of an IDE) are the reasons for which this is advised.
7. The installation procedure will begin when the installer extracts the files. This could require many minutes. When the installation is complete, you will be requested to install the optional DataSpell data science IDE from JetBrains.
8. A “Thanks for installing Anaconda” screen will appear after the installation is accomplished. Click “Finish.”
9. To verify that Python has been installed correctly, follow the directions in the section “Checking if Python is Already Installed on Your Windows Machine” after the installation is finished.

Check out the Python training syllabus available at SLA and enhance your skills. 

Installing Python on a Mac

Similar to installing Python on a Windows machine, there are a few different ways to install Python, all of which are covered in this guide:

• Install Python straight from the Python website: This approach lets you personalize your installation and gives you more control over the process.
• Install Python using a popular Python distribution, such as Anaconda. Anaconda has a ton of pre-installed tools and packages, which makes it an excellent option for scientific computing and data research.

Learn the fundamentals through our article that explains OOPs concepts in Python. 

Verifying Whether Python Is Already Installed on Your Mac

Check if Python is installed on your macOS computer by following these steps:

• Navigating to the Applications folder or using Spotlight search to look up Terminal will launch the app.
• In the command line, type Python 3. The Python prompt, which appears like this “>>>,” should show up if Python is installed following a message that reads something like “Python 3.x.x.” Python has a version number of “3. x.x”.
• An error message claiming that Python cannot be found will appear if Python is not installed on your computer.

The Python Website’s Guide on Installing Python on MacOS

To install Python on your macOS machine, use the full installer available on the Python website and follow these steps:

• Visit the link to learn Python.
• Click the link for the most recent version of Python (for example, Python 3.11.1 as of this writing) under the “Python Releases for macOS” section.
• Click the “macOS 64-bit universal2 installer” link under the “Files” section of the Python download page.
• To begin the installation process, double-click the file that has been downloaded.
• After the installer begins extracting files and the installation process is finished, click Continue and check the license agreement to finish the installation. It could ask for your admin password to finish the installation.
• To exit the installer after the installation is finished, click the “Close” button.
• After the installation is complete, follow the instructions in the section “Checking if Python is Already Installed on Your MacOS Machine” to confirm that Python has been installed correctly.

After installing Python using this guide, try out a simple Python program like Fibonacci Series.

How to Use Anaconda to Install Python on MacOS

Various Python distributions come with the required packages and tools pre-installed. The most popular distribution is Anaconda Python, which comes with a ton of pre-installed data science tools and packages. To get Python, use an Anaconda distribution and follow these steps:

1. Find out what kind of CPU your Mac has. Choose “About This Mac” by clicking on the Apple logo located in the upper left corner of your desktop. Note the value in the “Chip” row in the Overview pane.
2. Visit the download page for Anaconda.
3. You can find various versions of the Anaconda Installer by scrolling down to the “Anaconda Installers” section. Select “64-Bit (M1) Graphical Installer” if the CPU on your Mac is of the “Apple M1” kind. Select “64-Bit Graphical Installer” if not.
4. To begin the installation process, double-click the file that has been downloaded.
5. After the installer begins extracting files and the installation process is finished, click Continue and check the license agreement to finish the installation.
6. You will also be prompted to install JetBrains’ DataSpell data science IDE after the installation is finished.
7. You will get a screen that reads “Installation was completed successfully” if the installation is successful. Click “Finish.”
8. Once the installation is complete, follow the instructions in “Checking if Python is Already Installed on Your MacOS Machine” to confirm that Python has been installed correctly.

Useful Resource: Python Developer Salary in India

How to Set Up Packages in Python

Python is modular and has a large ecosystem of packages that provide functionality for certain data science tasks. For instance, the Pandas package offers data manipulation capabilities; sci-kit-learn offers machine learning capabilities; and PyTorch offers deep learning capabilities.

The two package management systems that can be used to install Python packages are Pip3 and Conda. These tools allow you to install and update Python packages.

Packet installation using pip3

Use pip3 if you installed Python using the Python website or the Microsoft Store. Use pip3 to install packages by doing the following steps:

1. Before trying to install Python packages, make sure Python is installed on your machine. Install Python by using one of the methods in the sections above (downloading and installing from the Microsoft Store website, for example).
2. To install a package using pip3, launch the Command Prompt on Windows or the Terminal on macOS, and enter the following command: 

pip3 install {package_name}

In this situation, the {package_name} indicates that a pkg has to be installed. For instance, you would type the following to install the Numpy package:

pip3 install numpy

3. If a package requires other packages to function, Pip3 will install those packages automatically.
4. After installing the package, you can import it into your Python code. If you installed the NumPy package, for instance, you might import it and utilize it in this way:

import numpy as np 

arr = np.array([“I”, “love”, “Python”, “package”, “management”])

5. Using the pip3 install –upgrade command, you can update a package to the most recent version. 

pip3 install –upgrade {package_name}

For instance, you may use the following command to update the numpy package to the newest version:

pip3 install –upgrade numpy

6. Use the pip3 uninstall command to remove a package from your system. 

pip3 uninstall {package_name}

For instance, numpy can be uninstalled with the following.

pip3 uninstall numpy

7. Use the pip3 freeze command to get an installation list of every package.

pip3 freeze

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Installing packages with Conda

If you installed Python using Anaconda, use Conda. Conda comes with several Python packages preloaded for data science, so you are not required to install common packages yourself.

Using Conda, follow these steps to install packages:

• Make sure Python is installed on your computer before attempting to install Python packages. Use the directions in one of the preceding sections (for example, downloading and installing from Anaconda) to install Python.
• To install a package using Conda, open a Command Prompt window in Windows or a Terminal window on macOS and type the following command:

conda install {package_name}

For instance, type the following to install the Pytorch package.

conda install pytorch

• The conda update command can be used to update a package to the most recent compatible version. 

conda update {package_name}

For instance, you would type: to update the pyTorch package to the most recent version.

conda update pytorch

• Utilizing the conda remove command, you can remove a package.

conda remove {package_name}

• For instance, you would do the following to remove the pyTorch package:

conda remove pytorch

• To see a list of every installed package in Conda, use the list command.

conda list

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Bottom Line

We sincerely hope that this guide was useful and that you were able to download and install Python on both Windows and macOS. Enroll at SLA Jobs’ Python training in Chennai today for a more thorough understanding!