Installing Python

[elz]

Before you can write code in Python, you'll want to make sure it's installed on your computer. There's a PDF on the assignments page about getting started with Python and IDLE. It also says:

Warning: On the Python homepage, the latest version available for download is actually 3.0. Do not install this! This version is not backwards compatible with the code that you'll be writing in this course (for example, you have to type print("test") instead of print test.)

Here's a direct link to the Python download page - it looks like we'll want to use 2.6.4.

(My notes so far: installing on Windows is a snap. Shall investigate further on OS X and Ubuntu - I know Python is installed, but I'm not sure IDLE is.)

Comment if you run into any problems or have any advice!

Comments

[cal]

Impressively painless on Windows XP! If anyone else on Windows is clueless like me: IDLE is installed automatically with Python and you can then find it in the Python bit of your Start menu.

[ephemera]

ditto for Windows Vista (on both the painless and the location)

[tassosss]

Very easy. I'm so excited now!!!