Install Python on Linux, macOS and Windows

Which option to pick

On Linux and macOS a Python 3 is often already present because the system uses it, but you should not install packages into that copy. Install a separate current Python through the package manager (or python.org) and always create a virtual environment per project with python3 -m venv. On Windows there is no system Python; the python.org installer is the standard choice. If you need several Python versions side by side, look at uv or pyenv, but for a first install the steps below are enough.

Step: Linux

Debian and Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-venv python3-pip

Fedora, RHEL and derivatives:

sudo dnf install python3 python3-pip

Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S python python-pip. The python3-venv package is separate on Debian and Ubuntu and is required for python3 -m venv to work.

Step: macOS

brew install python

Homebrew installs the current Python 3 as python3 and pip3, with unversioned python and pip links in its libexec/bin directory. Alternatively download the macOS installer from python.org; it installs into /Library/Frameworks and adds itself to PATH. The python3 that Xcode’s command line tools provide works too, but is updated only with macOS.

Step: Windows

In PowerShell, install the current release with winget (change 3.13 to the newest version listed by winget search Python.Python):

winget install Python.Python.3.13

Or run the installer from python.org. On the first screen tick Add python.exe to PATH before clicking Install Now. The installer also sets up the py launcher, which can start any installed version: py -3.13, py -3.12.

Check it works

python3 --version
python3 -m pip --version
python3 -m venv .venv

On Windows use python --version or py --version. Then activate the environment you just created: source .venv/bin/activate on Linux and macOS, .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 in PowerShell. Inside it, pip install works without sudo and without touching the system.

Common problems

• python: command not found on Ubuntu: only python3 exists. Use that name, or sudo apt install python-is-python3 to add the short name.
• error: externally-managed-environment when running pip install: modern distributions block installing into the system Python. Create a venv and install inside it.
• On Windows, python opens the Microsoft Store: Windows ships a stub that does this. Either install from the Store, or disable the stub under Settings, Apps, Advanced app settings, App execution aliases, after installing from python.org.
• python3 -m venv fails with ensurepip is not available on Debian or Ubuntu: install python3-venv.
• .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled: run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned once in PowerShell.

Official documentation

• Python Setup and Usage (per platform)
• venv: creation of virtual environments
• python.org downloads