Complete Guide to Installing Python on Windows, macOS, and Linux

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to download Python from the official website
• How to install Python on different operating systems
• How to set up PATH correctly
• How to verify the installation using the terminal/command prompt
• How to install and use pip
• How to run your first Python program

By the end of this tutorial, your system will be fully ready for learning AI and building Python projects. Perfect for beginners with no prior programming experience.

Step 1: Download Python

Visit the official Python website:

Python Official Website

• Click Downloads
• Download the latest version for Windows

Usually, the website automatically suggests the correct installer.

Example:

• Python 3.x.x for Windows (64-bit)

image showing python official website

Step 2: Run the Installer

After downloading:

1. Open the installer
2. IMPORTANT: Check the box:

Add Python to PATH

1. Click:

Install Now

Python and pip will install automatically.

image showing installation screen

tick the checkboxes as shown

click on customize installation

click next after that

Step 3: Verify Installation

Open:

Command Prompt

Type:

python --version

or

python3 --version

Expected output:

Python 3.x.x

Step 4: Verify pip

Type:

pip --version

Expected:

pip x.x from ...

Step 5: Run Your First Python Program

Open Command Prompt and type:

python

Then:

print("Hello World")

Output:

Hello World

Exit using:

exit()

Installing Python on macOS

Method 1: Install from Official Website (Recommended)

Visit:

Python Downloads for macOS

Download the latest macOS installer.

Step 2: Install Python

1. Open the downloaded .pkg file
2. Follow the installation wizard
3. Complete installation

Step 3: Verify Installation

Open:

Terminal

Type:

python3 --version

Expected output:

Python 3.x.x

Step 4: Verify pip

Type:

pip3 --version

Optional: Install Using Homebrew

If you use Homebrew:

Install Homebrew:

Homebrew Official Website

Then install Python:

brew install python

Verify:

python3 --version

Installing Python on Linux

Most Linux distributions already include Python.

Check Existing Python Version

Open Terminal:

python3 --version

If installed, you will see:

Python 3.x.x

Ubuntu / Debian Installation

Update packages:

sudo apt update

Install Python:

sudo apt install python3

Install pip:

sudo apt install python3-pip

Verify:

python3 --versionpip3 --version

Fedora Installation

Install Python:

sudo dnf install python3

Install pip:

sudo dnf install python3-pip

Arch Linux Installation

Install Python:

sudo pacman -S python

Running Python on Linux

Start Python:

python3

Example:

print("hello world")

Exit:

exit()

Installing a Code Editor for Python

A code editor makes programming easier.

Recommended Editors

1. Visual Studio Code

Official website:

VS Code Official Website

Features:

• Lightweight
• Extensions support
• Debugging
• Terminal integration

Install the Python extension after installing VS Code.

Install VS Code on Windows

Use the Windows installer

1. Download the Visual Studio Code installer for Windows
2. Once it is downloaded, run the installer (VSCodeUserSetup-{version}.exe)By default, VS Code is installed under C:\Users\{Username}\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code.

Install VS Code on macOS

1. Download Visual Studio Code for macOS.
2. Open the downloaded .dmg file
3. Drag Visual Studio Code.app to the Applications folder
4. Open VS Code from the Applications folder, by double clicking the icon.
5. Add VS Code to your Dock by right-clicking on the icon, located in the Dock, to bring up the context menu and choosing Options, Keep in Dock.

Launch VS Code from the command line

To run VS Code from the terminal by typing code, add it to the $PATH environment variable using one of the following methods:

Configure the path with VS Code

1. Launch VS Code
2. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P), type 'shell command', and run the Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH command.
3. Restart the terminal for the new $PATH value to take effect.You can now type 'code .' in any folder to start editing files in that folder.

Note

If you still have the old code alias in your .bash_profile (or equivalent) from an early VS Code version, remove it and replace it by running the Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH command.

Manually configure the path

To manually add VS Code to your path:

1. Run the following commands:Zsh:ZshBash:BashNote

cat << EOF >> ~/.zprofile
# Add Visual Studio Code (code)
export PATH="\$PATH:/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin"
EOF

cat << EOF >> ~/.bash_profile
# Add Visual Studio Code (code)
export PATH="\$PATH:/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin"
EOF

The leading slash \ is required to prevent $PATH from expanding during the concatenation. Remove the leading slash if you want to run the export command directly in a terminal.

1. Start a new terminal to pick up your changes.You can now type 'code .' in any folder to start editing files in that folder

Install VS Code on Linux

Debian and Ubuntu based distributions

1. The easiest way to install Visual Studio Code for Debian/Ubuntu based distributions is to download and install the .deb package (64-bit), either through the graphical software center if it's available, or through the command line with:BashNoteWhen you install the .deb package, it prompts to install the apt repository and signing key to enable auto-updating using the system's package manager.

sudo apt install ./<file>.deb

# If you're on an older Linux distribution, you will need to run this instead:
# sudo dpkg -i <file>.deb
# sudo apt-get install -f # Install dependencies

Other binaries are also available on the VS Code download page.

1. To automatically install the apt repository and signing key, such as on a non-interactive terminal, run the following command first:Bash

echo "code code/add-microsoft-repo boolean true" | sudo debconf-set-selections

1. To manually install the apt repository:
   1. Run the following script to install the signing key:Bash

sudo apt install wget gpg &&
wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg

1. Create a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.sources file with the following contents to add a reference to the upstream package repository:Text

Types: deb
URIs: https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code
Suites: stable
Components: main
Architectures: amd64,arm64,armhf
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg

1. Lastly, update the package cache and install the package:Bash

sudo apt update &&
sudo apt install code # or code-insiders

Note

Due to the manual signing process and the publishing system we use, the Debian repo could lag behind by up to three hours and not immediately get the latest version of VS Code.

RHEL, Fedora, and CentOS based distributions

We currently ship the stable 64-bit VS Code for RHEL, Fedora, or CentOS based distributions in a yum repository.

1. Install the key and yum repository by running the following script:Bash

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc &&
echo -e "[code]\nname=Visual Studio Code\nbaseurl=https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/vscode\nenabled=1\nautorefresh=1\ntype=rpm-md\ngpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc" | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/vscode.repo > /dev/null

1. Then update the package cache and install the package using dnf (Fedora 22 and above):BashOr on older versions using yum:Bash

dnf check-update &&
sudo dnf install code # or code-insiders

yum check-update &&
sudo yum install code # or code-insiders

Note

Due to the manual signing process and the publishing system we use, the yum repo could lag behind by up to three hours and not immediately get the latest version of VS Code.

Snap

VS Code is officially distributed as a Snap package in the Snap Store

You can install it by running:

Bash

sudo snap install --classic code # or code-insiders

Once installed, the Snap daemon takes care of automatically updating VS Code in the background. You get an in-product update notification whenever a new update is available.

Note

If snap isn't available in your Linux distribution, check the Installing snapd guide, which can help you get that set up.

Learn more about snaps from the official Snap Documentation.

openSUSE and SLE-based distributions

The yum repository mentioned previously also works for openSUSE and SLE-based systems.

1. Install the key and yum repository by running the following script:Bash

sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc &&
echo -e "[code]\nname=Visual Studio Code\nbaseurl=https://packages.microsoft.com/yumrepos/vscode\nenabled=1\nautorefresh=1\ntype=rpm-md\ngpgcheck=1\ngpgkey=https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc" | sudo tee /etc/zypp/repos.d/vscode.repo > /dev/null

1. Then update the package cache and install the package using:Bash

sudo zypper install code

AUR package for Arch Linux

There is a community-maintained Arch User Repository package for VS Code.

To get more information about the installation from the AUR, consult the following wiki entry: Install AUR Packages.

Nix package for NixOS (or any Linux distribution using Nix package manager)

There is a community-maintained VS Code Nix package in the nixpkgs repository.

To install it by using Nix:

1. Set allowUnfree option to true in your config.nix
2. Run the following command:Bash

nix-env -i vscode

Install the .rpm package manually

You can manually download and install the VS Code .rpm package (64-bit), however, auto-updating won't work unless the repository above is installed.

Once downloaded, the .rpm package can be installed by using your package manager, for example with dnf:

Bash

sudo dnf install <file>.rpm

Note

Other binaries are also available on the VS Code download page.

Updates

VS Code ships weekly and you can see when a new release is available by checking the release notes. If the VS Code repository was installed correctly, then your system package manager should handle auto-updating in the same way as other packages on the system.

Note

Updates are automatic and run in the background for the Snap package.

Configure VS Code as the default text editor

xdg-open

You can set the default text editor for text files (text/plain) that is used by xdg-open with the following command:

Bash

xdg-mime default code.desktop text/plain

Debian alternatives system

Debian-based distributions allow setting a default editor by using the Debian alternatives system, without concern for the MIME type. You can set this by running the following command and selecting code:

Bash

sudo update-alternatives --set editor /usr/bin/code

If you've installed VS Code with the Snap package, use this command instead:

Bash

sudo update-alternatives --set editor /snap/bin/code

If VS Code doesn't show up as an alternative to the default editor, you need to register it:

Bash

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/editor editor $(which code) 10

Use the custom title bar

The custom title bar provides many benefits, including great theming support and better accessibility through keyboard navigation and screen readers. These benefits might not always translate as well to the Linux platform. Linux has various desktop environments and window managers that can make the VS Code theming look foreign to users. Therefore, the custom title bar isn't enabled by default on Linux.

For users needing the accessibility improvements, we recommend enabling the custom title bar when running in accessibility mode using a screen reader.

You can manually configure the title bar with the Window: Title Bar Style (window.titleBarStyle) setting:

2. PyCharm

Official website:

PyCharm Official Website

Features:

• Powerful IDE
• Excellent debugging
• Best for large projects

Common Installation Problems

1. “python is not recognized”

Cause:

• Python not added to PATH

Fix:

• Reinstall Python
• Check:

Add Python to PATH

2. pip not working

Try:

python -m pip install package_name

or:

python3 -m pip install package_name

3. Multiple Python Versions

Check versions:

python --versionpython3 --version

Use:

• python3 on Linux/macOS
• python on Windows

Conclusion

Installing Python is simple on all major operating systems.

Steps summary:

• Download Python
• Install it
• Verify installation
• Install pip
• Use a code editor
• Start coding

Python is beginner-friendly and extremely powerful for modern technologies like AI, web development, cybersecurity, and automation.

Sources:

Python Documentation

Vscode Documentation