Installing Python

Get Python running on your computer, with checks that it worked. Pick your system below.

Windows

Download the installer from python.org/downloads. Important: on the first installer screen, check the box that says "Add python.exe to PATH" before clicking Install. Without it, the python command won't work in PowerShell.

Open a new PowerShell window and run:

python --version

Check: you should see something like Python 3.13.2. If Windows says the command isn't recognized, you skipped the PATH checkbox — re-run the installer, choose Modify, and add it.

Mac

Macs don't ship a usable Python 3 by default. The cleanest path is the installer from python.org/downloads (macOS 64-bit universal2). Then in Terminal:

python3 --version

Check: a version number prints. (Note: it's python3 on Mac, not python.)

Linux

Most Linux distributions include Python 3. Check first:

python3 --version

If it's missing, install it with your package manager — for example on Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3

Check: python3 --version prints a version number.

Confirm it can run code

On any system, run:

python --version   # Windows
python3 --version  # Mac/Linux

then:

python -c "print('it works')"    # Windows
python3 -c "print('it works')"   # Mac/Linux

Check: it prints it works. You're ready.

A note on versions

Any Python 3.10 or newer is fine for these guides. Don't chase the absolute latest release on day one — libraries you might use later sometimes lag behind brand-new versions by a few weeks.

Next: Your First Program.