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Installing a Development Environment

In order to write Python programs and execute (or run) them, you need to have a editor (to write) and an interpreter (to run) the program. Depending on your individual setup, you will take a different approach.

1. Instal Python

First, go to the section for your laptop (MAC or Windows) and then follow the instructions.

Installing Python on a Mac

  1. Open this webpage: Python Distributions for Mac

    1. Instructions are also here
  2. Download the Latest Python 3 Release - Python 3.13.X (for some value of X)
  3. For a default installation, double-click on the downloaded installer package file. This should launch the standard macOS Installer app and display the first of several installer windows steps.
  4. Click Continue
  5. Read (scroll all the way down) and Continue
  6. Agree to the terms and conditions
  7. After the license terms are accepted, the next step is the Installation Type display. Select Customize and add all options show in the next slide

custom Python install

  1. Then click Install
  2. Double-click on the Install Certificates.command icon or file in the /Applications/Python 3.13/ window to complete the installation.

custom Python applications

  1. This will open a temporary Terminal shell window that will use the new Python to download and install SSL root certificates for its use. Note: this just means it let’s you finish the configuration.
  2. If Successfully installed certify and update complete appears in the terminal window, the installation is complete. Close this terminal window and the installer window.

If you have trouble with any of these steps, ask for help.

Installing Python on Windows

  1. Open this webpage: Python Distributions for Win

    1. Instructions are also here
  2. Download the Latest Python 3 Release - Python 3.13.X (for some value of X)
  3. Open the downloaded .exe file to launch the Python installer
    1. Crucially, on the first screen, check the box that says “Add Python.exe to PATH”. OR Add Python to Environment Variables. This ensures you can easily run Python from the command prompt.
    2. Crucially, Also select Install Python 3.13 for all users

custom Python applications

  1. Before picking the install method, make sure you pick “Customize installation” to select specific features.
    1. Pick Customize and select the features that match the ones for MAC shown in the previous section.
    2. ensure that “pip” (Python’s package installer) is selected
  2. Open the Command Prompt (search for “cmd” in the Start Menu).
  3. Type Python --version and press Enter (or Return). This should display the installed Python 3.13 version, confirming a successful installation.

If you have trouble with any of these steps, ask for help.

Install Thonny

Thonny is the name of an Integrated Development Environment you can use to create Python programs on your computer. You should install Thonny on your own computer. (Mac Users: after downloading and opening the .dmg file. Open readme.txt for further instructions.)

Now we need to pick which version of Python to connect to Thonny. First, go to the section for your laptop (MAC or Windows) and then follow the instructions.

Setting python version for Thonny in a Mac

  1. First, Open a terminal and run these commands:

Setup Python in Thonny

  1. make a note of where python is saved on your system
  2. Now go back to Thonny
    1. Select Tools > Options >
    2. In the window that opens, select the Interpreter tab, and then the three dots menu to select the python executable you found before.
    3. You should be able to see where we installed the new python3.13
      1. in my case, it’s the line that reads /usr/local/bin/python3

    Setup Python in Thonny

  3. Select it, click OK, and restart Thonny.

Setting python version for Thonny in Windows

  1. We need to tell Thonny to use our newest version of Python
  2. Run, in a Command Prompt or PowerShell, the command: where python or inspect the Windows Registry
  3. write down the path it reports… it will be something like: C:\Program Files\python313 or C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\python\python313\
  4. Verify that, inside that folder, you see python.exe
  5. Now go back to Thonny
    1. Navigate to Run > Select interpreter.
    2. Choose Alternative Python 3.
    3. Browse to the location where you installed Python 3.13 python.exe executable.

Two other (online) tools: Python Tutor and Trinket

There are some free services that allow you to run Python, but you will have to create an account.