Python Setup and Usage

This part of the documentation is devoted to general information on the setup of the Python environment on different platforms, the invocation of the interpreter and things that make working with Python easier.

• 1. Command line and environment
  • 1.1. Command line
    • 1.1.1. Interface options
    • 1.1.2. Generic options
    • 1.1.3. Miscellaneous options
    • 1.1.4. Options you shouldn’t use
  • 1.2. Environment variables
    • 1.2.1. Debug-mode variables
• 2. Using Python on Unix platforms
  • 2.1. Getting and installing the latest version of Python
    • 2.1.1. On Linux
    • 2.1.2. On FreeBSD and OpenBSD
    • 2.1.3. On OpenSolaris
  • 2.2. Building Python
  • 2.3. Python-related paths and files
  • 2.4. Miscellaneous
  • 2.5. Editors and IDEs
• 3. Using Python on Windows
  • 3.1. Installing Python
    • 3.1.1. Supported Versions
    • 3.1.2. Installation Steps
    • 3.1.3. Removing the MAX_PATH Limitation
    • 3.1.4. Installing Without UI
    • 3.1.5. Installing Without Downloading
    • 3.1.6. Modifying an install
    • 3.1.7. Other Platforms
  • 3.2. Alternative bundles
  • 3.3. Configuring Python
    • 3.3.1. Excursus: Setting environment variables
    • 3.3.2. Finding the Python executable
  • 3.4. Python Launcher for Windows
    • 3.4.1. Getting started
      • 3.4.1.1. From the command-line
      • 3.4.1.2. Virtual environments
      • 3.4.1.3. From a script
      • 3.4.1.4. From file associations
    • 3.4.2. Shebang Lines
    • 3.4.3. Arguments in shebang lines
    • 3.4.4. Customization
      • 3.4.4.1. Customization via INI files
      • 3.4.4.2. Customizing default Python versions
    • 3.4.5. Diagnostics
  • 3.5. Finding modules
  • 3.6. Additional modules
    • 3.6.1. PyWin32
    • 3.6.2. cx_Freeze
    • 3.6.3. WConio
  • 3.7. Compiling Python on Windows
  • 3.8. Embedded Distribution
    • 3.8.1. Python Application
    • 3.8.2. Embedding Python
  • 3.9. Other resources
• 4. Using Python on a Macintosh
  • 4.1. Getting and Installing MacPython
    • 4.1.1. How to run a Python script
    • 4.1.2. Running scripts with a GUI
    • 4.1.3. Configuration
  • 4.2. The IDE
  • 4.3. Installing Additional Python Packages
  • 4.4. GUI Programming on the Mac
  • 4.5. Distributing Python Applications on the Mac
  • 4.6. Other Resources