Lesson 2
The Basic Elements
Chapter 2: Installing Python
Installing Python
We will be officially using Python 3.8 for the course. Please make sure that your version of Python is at least 3.8.
Python 3.9 is fine (as long as you do not use any of the fancy new features in that version!). It is also your own responsibility to make sure that your code works runs correctly in Python 3.8 as this will be used to mark your coursework assignments.
In this chapter, I will be covering how to install a standard, official Python distribution.
This will strip everything down to the basics, which will help you understand what goes on behind the scenes better. It also gives you better control on what other libraries you install to your Python installation. Later on in our course, you will be installing more external libraries, so installing things from scratch can help you understand these nitty gritty details better.
You could choose to use another distribution like Anaconda, but only if you know what you are doing! Keep in mind though that you will not always be able to get all the latest external libraries via conda because of compatibility issues!
If you already have Python installed on your computer, then you can safely skip this chapter.
I will present installation instructions for each operating system separately, so feel free to skip any irrelevant pages.
If you have problems installing Python, then an alternative will be to use an online interpreter, such as PythonAnywhere. Register for a free beginners account on PythonAnywhere, and you can just use Python on the Cloud until you can get help from us when term starts!