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Setting Up Python on macOS

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Other platforms: Windows | Linux

Step 1 — Install Python

We recommend Python 3.13+ for the best experience. Python 3.13 has dramatically better error messages that explain what went wrong in plain English, making debugging much easier for beginners.

Option A (python.org installer):

  1. Download from Python releases for macOS.
  2. Run the installer package.

Option B (Homebrew, if installed):

brew install python

Open Terminal and verify:

python3 --version
python3 -c "print('hello from python')"

Expected output:

Python 3.x.x
hello from python

Why python3? macOS includes an older system Python. Always use python3 to get the version you installed.

Step 2 — Install an editor

Option A (recommended): VS Code

Install VS Code, then add these extensions:

Option B (absolute beginners): Thonny

Thonny is a Python IDE designed for beginners. It comes with Python built in, has a simple interface, and includes a debugger that lets you step through code line by line. If VS Code feels overwhelming, start with Thonny and switch to VS Code later.

Step 3 — Create your learning folder

mkdir -p "$HOME/python_sme/projects" "$HOME/python_sme/templates" "$HOME/python_sme/notes"

Step 4 — Install uv (recommended package manager)

uv is a modern, fast replacement for pip and venv. It is used throughout this curriculum.

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
uv --version

Expected output: uv x.x.x (version number).

If you prefer pip: All uv commands in this curriculum have pip equivalents. Replace uv venv with python3 -m venv .venv and uv pip install with pip install. Everything else stays the same.

Step 5 — Create first project and virtual environment

cd "$HOME/python_sme/projects"
mkdir -p hello_sme
cd hello_sme
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python --version

Expected output:

  • Prompt starts with (.venv).
  • Python version prints.

pip fallback: Replace uv venv with python3 -m venv .venv.

Step 6 — Install pytest and run sanity checks

uv pip install pytest
pytest --version

pip fallback: Replace uv pip install pytest with python -m pip install pytest.

Expected output: pytest version is displayed.

Step 7 — Create first script and first test

Create hello.py:

print("Hello, Future Python SME")

Create test_hello.py:

def test_math_baseline():
    assert 1 + 1 == 2

Run:

python hello.py
pytest -q

Expected output:

Hello, Future Python SME
1 passed

Step 8 — Credential handling

Do not embed database credentials in scripts. Use environment variables:

export APP_DB_HOST="your-sql-host"
export APP_DB_NAME="your_db"
export APP_DB_USER="your_sql_login"

Rules: keep passwords/tokens out of source code. Keep .env and secret files in .gitignore. Prefer approved enterprise secret storage when available. Use least privilege and read-only credentials first.

Expected output

After completing this guide you should have:

  • A working hello_sme project with hello.py, test_hello.py, and .venv.
  • python hello.py succeeds.
  • pytest -q succeeds.
  • You can explain your credential safety rules.

Troubleshooting

  • python3 not found: Reopen Terminal. Confirm install finished. Reinstall Python.
  • macOS shows old system Python: Always use python3 instead of python.
  • uv not found: Re-run the install command from Step 4. Or fall back to pip.
  • pytest not found: Confirm venv is active. Run uv pip install pytest (or pip install pytest).

Break/fix drills

  1. Deactivate venv and run pytest to see failure mode.
  2. Rename test_hello.py to hello_test.py and observe discovery behavior.
  3. Intentionally misspell assert and read the traceback.
  4. Switch interpreter in VS Code, then switch back to the project venv.
  5. Add a fake credential directly in code, then remove it and replace with env var access.

Primary Sources

Optional Resources

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