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Python#

dotfiles

If you're using the dotfiles from this project, pyenv and pipx are installed and configured automatically - see the features section for more information on what's included.

Install and manage python versions using pyenv.

pyenv#

This process uses pyenv to manage Python installation and versions. pyenv is a Python version manager that can manage and install different versions of Python.

Install pyenv with homebrew

brew install pyenv

Add the following lines to update your ~/.zshrc / ~/.zprofile files, instructing them to use pyenv to manage Python:

export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
[[ -d $PYENV_ROOT/bin ]] && export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

Install additional dependencies required to build Python

brew install openssl readline sqlite3 xz zlib tcl-tk

apt update
apt install \
    build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev \
    libbz2-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev \
    curl libncursesw5-dev xz-utils \
    tk-dev libxml2-dev libxmlsec1-dev \
    libffi-dev liblzma-dev

pyenv install 3.11 3.12 3.10 3.9 3.8
pyenv global 3.11 3.12 3.10 3.9 3.8
pyenv rehash

Upgrading Python Versions#

When you run the above pyenv command to install the multiple Python versions pyenv will install new versions of the respective minor versions of Python. For example, 3.11.7 to 3.11.8. This is useful but can cause some unintended consequences.

In the below example, the default Python version, 3.11, was upgraded. In this case we uninstall the old version and recreate all pipx applications that were installed using the old version and also recreate any virtual environments.

$ pyenv versions
   system
 * 3.8.19 (set by /Users/juftin/.pyenv/version)
 * 3.9.19 (set by /Users/juftin/.pyenv/version)
 * 3.10.13 (set by /Users/juftin/.pyenv/version)
   3.11.7
 * 3.11.8 (set by /Users/juftin/.pyenv/version)
 * 3.12.2 (set by /Users/juftin/.pyenv/version)
$ pyenv uninstall 3.11.7

pipx reinstall-all

rm -rf .venv
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

pyenv.png

IPython#

Install IPython

pip install 'ipython[zmq,qtconsole,notebook,test]'

ipython.png

pipx#

Install pipx

pipx is a tool to help you install and run end-user applications written in Python. It's roughly similar to macOS's brew, JavaScript's npx, and Linux's apt.

It's closely related to pip. In fact, it uses pip, but is focused on installing and managing Python packages that can be run from the command line directly as applications.

brew install pipx
pipx ensurepath

Add the following lines to update your ~/.zshrc file, instructing it to use pyenv's default Python version to bootstrap pipx applications:

export PIPX_DEFAULT_PYTHON=$(pyenv which python)

pipx_demo.gif