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Install Python

Beginner

Prerequisites: What is a Python package

Step-by-step Python install from scratch. If you can already run python --version, jump to Install Git. We strongly recommend Miniconda instead of the plain Python.org installer — it bundles Python + package management + virtual environments + the C/Fortran compiler toolchain (scipy, pandapower, etc. need it).

Step 1 — Check whether Python is already installed

Open a terminal:

  • Windows: Win + R → type cmd → Enter
  • macOS: Cmd + Space → type Terminal → Enter
  • Linux: Ctrl + Alt + T

Type:

python --version

If you see Python 3.10.x or later, you're already set up — skip this page. If it's 2.7.x or 3.8.x, follow the steps below to install Miniconda alongside; the old one can stay untouched. If it says "command not found / not recognised", proceed.

Step 2 — Download Miniconda

Open: https://docs.conda.io/projects/miniconda/en/latest/

Pick the file matching your system:

OS File
Windows 10/11 Miniconda3-latest-Windows-x86_64.exe
macOS (Intel) Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-x86_64.pkg
macOS (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3) Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-arm64.pkg
Linux Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh

Not sure which Mac chip you have? Apple menu → "About This Mac" → look at "Processor". Apple M1/M2/M3 → arm64; Intel Core → x86_64.

Step 3 — Install

Windows

  1. Double-click the downloaded .exe.
  2. Click Next through the wizard.
  3. Important: on the "Advanced Installation Options" page:
  4. ✅ Tick "Add Miniconda3 to my PATH environment variable" (the installer warns in red, but for our use case please tick it — it lets you call python / conda from any shell).
  5. ✅ Tick "Register Miniconda3 as my default Python".
  6. Click Install, wait a few minutes, finish.

macOS

  1. Double-click the .pkg.
  2. Continue → Install.
  3. Open Terminal and verify with conda --version.

Linux

In a terminal, in the download directory:

bash Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh

Follow the prompts:

  • Read the licence → type yes.
  • Choose install path (default ~/miniconda3 is fine) → Enter.
  • "Do you wish to update your shell profile..." → yes.

Close and reopen the terminal afterwards.

Step 4 — Verify

Open a fresh terminal (the old window may not have the updated PATH yet):

conda --version
python --version

You should see something like:

conda 24.3.0
Python 3.12.x

If conda --version reports "command not found":

  • Windows: PATH may not have been added. Use "Start menu → Anaconda Prompt (miniconda3)" — that special shell always finds conda. Or rerun the installer and tick "Add to PATH".
  • macOS / Linux: source ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc), then retry.

Step 5 — (Optional) configure mirrors for faster downloads

In some regions PyPI's default servers are slow. The Tsinghua mirror is a popular alternative:

# conda → Tsinghua
conda config --add channels https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/anaconda/pkgs/main
conda config --add channels https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/anaconda/pkgs/free
conda config --add channels https://mirrors.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/anaconda/cloud/conda-forge
conda config --set show_channel_urls yes

# pip → Tsinghua (persistent)
pip config set global.index-url https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple

Subsequent conda install and pip install calls then pull from the mirror, often 10–100× faster.

FAQ

Q: Why not just use the Python.org installer?

You can. But you'd then need to:

  • Install every package manually with pip install ....
  • Learn venv for environment isolation.
  • For C-extension packages like pandapower, supply Visual Studio's compiler yourself.

Miniconda bundles all of this.

Q: Anaconda vs Miniconda?

  • Anaconda: ~3 GB, ships a few hundred pre-installed data-science packages.
  • Miniconda: ~100 MB, just Python + conda. Add what you need on demand.

We recommend Miniconda — clean, small, and you can conda install / pip install whatever else you need later.

Q: Can I install on a non-system drive?

Windows: yes — and prefer somewhere like D:\Miniconda3 rather than C:\Program Files\.... The latter contains a space, which a few Python packages stumble over.

Q: How do I uninstall?

  • Windows: Control Panel → Programs → Miniconda3 → Uninstall.
  • macOS / Linux: rm -rf ~/miniconda3 and clean up the conda init block in ~/.bashrc / ~/.zshrc.

Next steps

  • Install Git — install git so you can fetch pylectra's source from GitHub.