Mac OS X

Instructions for testing Python on Mac OS X

Test your Python Install

OS X ships with Python installed, so the goal of this page is to make sure you can start a Terminal and run Python from the command line.

• Start up a Terminal. You can find the Terminal application through Spotlight, or navigate to Applications/Utilities/Terminal.

• This Terminal contains something called a command prompt. This command prompt is another way of navigating your computer and running programs – just textually instead of graphically. We are going to be running Python and Python scripts from this command prompt.

• Test your Python install at the command prompt. Type:

  python
  Python 2.7.1 (r261:67515, Feb 11 2010, 00:51:29)
  [GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5646)] on darwin
  Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
  >>>

note:You just started Python! The >>> indicates that you are at a new type of prompt – a Python prompt. The command prompt let’s you navigate your computer and run programs, and the Python prompt lets you write and run Python code interactively. note:If the Python version number (2.7.1 in the example above) is not a number between 2.4 and 2.7 (ignoring the number after the second dot), tell a staff member.

• To exit the Python prompt, type:

  exit()
  

This will take you back to the OS X command prompt.

Success!

You have tested your Python installation.