Python Basics: Installing CPython

PrimerPy
2 min readJan 27, 2023

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CPython is the default and most widely used implementation of the Python programming language. It is written in C and Python, and it is the reference implementation of the Python language. CPython is an open-source project, and it is maintained by the Python Software Foundation. It is the most widely used Python interpreter, and it is compatible with most operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, and Linux.

The name “CPython” comes from the fact that it is written in C, as opposed to other implementations of Python that are written in other languages such as Java (Jython) or .NET (IronPython).

CPython is the foundation for the Python ecosystem and provides a stable platform for running Python code. It has a large and active community of developers and users, which has led to the development of a wide range of third-party libraries and tools that are compatible with CPython.

Installing CPython is a relatively straightforward process, but there are a few things to keep in mind depending on your operating system.

For Windows users:

  1. Go to the Python website (https://www.python.org/) and download the latest version of Python for Windows.
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts to install Python on your computer.
  3. Once the installation is complete, open the command prompt and type “python” to start the Python interpreter.

For Mac users:

  1. Go to the Python website (https://www.python.org/) and download the latest version of Python for Mac.
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts to install Python on your computer.
  3. Once the installation is complete, open the terminal and type “python” to start the Python interpreter.

For Linux (e.g. Ubuntu) users:

  1. Open a terminal and type “sudo apt-get install python3” to install the latest version of Python3 on your Linux machine.
  2. Once the installation is complete, type “python3” in the terminal to start the Python interpreter.

It’s worth noting that many Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed, so you may not need to install it manually. To check if Python is already installed on your Linux machine, open a terminal and type “python” or “python3”. If it’s installed, you’ll see the Python interpreter prompt.

After installing CPython you can also use package manager like pip to install various packages and modules which will expand the functionality of python.

To install a package using pip, open a terminal or command prompt and type “pip install package_name”

For example, to install the popular NumPy package, you would type “pip install numpy”

That’s all you need to know to install CPython on your computer. Happy coding!

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PrimerPy

www.primerpy.com | A Primer on Python. I'm a veteran Data and Web developer based out of NYC and DC area. I blog mainly on Python and other tech related topics.