As part of the programming module you study on the course, you will be tasked with using the Python programming language to complete lab activities.
In this guide, you shall be taken through the journey of installing Python for a Linux (Debian-based) operating system.
By default, Linux comes pre-installed with Python 3. However, there are some additional libraries you will want to
aid in the development of your scripts and applications. To install these additional libraries you will need to use
the command-line interface. To open the Terminal window, you will need to search for Terminal in the
Application screen.
With the command-line window open, you can install the necessary libraries by using the following command:
When this command is entered in the command-line interface window, you will see a question is asked whether you wish
to proceed with the installation. Enter Y into the command-line interface window and push Enter on the keyboard.
This will begin the process of downloading the necessary additional libraries for Python. This process may take some
time depending upon the speed of your internet connection, but once completed you should be able to enter another
terminal command.
To confirm that everything is working as expected, you will need to perform a quick check using the command-line
interface. With the command-line interface open, you can type the command python3 and the Python interpreter should
be loaded. However, if you are met with an error similar to:
Then something has gone wrong with the installation of the Python interpreter. You will want to start the process of following this guide again, and if the error still persists, seek help in the module lab sessions.
That is the end of this guide on installing Python. If you have followed all the necessary steps correctly, you should have a fully functional implementation of Python which will enable you to complete any necessary programming-based activities you will participate with on this course.
If you have spotted any errors or issues within this tutorial, you can e-mail Dr Ian Cornelius. Ensure to include in your message a description of the error or issue and a possible resolution. Also remember to include a URL to the page with the issue or error.