Installing Python 3 on Mac OS X. The version of Python that ships with OS X is great for learning, but it’s not good for development. The version shipped with OS X may be out of date from the official current Python release, which is considered the stable production version.
Important
If you are using a Python from any current python.orgPython installer for macOS (3.8.0+, 3.7.2+, 3.6.8, or 2.7.16+),no further action is needed to use IDLE or tkinter.A built-in version of Tcl/Tk 8.6 will be used.
If you are using macOS 10.6 or later, the Apple-suppliedTcl/Tk 8.5 has serious bugs that can cause application crashes.If you wish to use IDLE or Tkinter, do not use the Apple-suppliedPythons. Instead, install and use a newer version of Pythonfrom python.org or a third-party distributor that supplies orlinks with a newer version of Tcl/Tk.
Python's integrated development environment,IDLE, and thetkinter GUI toolkitit uses, depend on the Tk GUI toolkit which isnot part of Python itself. For best results, it is important that theproper release of Tcl/Tk is installed on your machine.For recent Python installers for macOS downloadable from this website,here is a summary of current recommendations followed by more detailedinformation.
PythonRelease | InstallerVariant | macOSRelease | RecommendedTcl/Tk | AlternateTcl/Tk | NotRecommended |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3.8.3,3.7.8,2.7.18 | all | 10.9 to10.15 | built-in8.6.8 |
There are currently three major variants of Tk in common use on macOS:
- Aqua Cocoa Tk
- A newer native implementation availableas a universal 64-bit and 32-bit binary. This variant is the standard nativemacOS variant in Tk 8.6 and as of Tk 8.5.13. Aqua Cocoa support wasbackported to Tk 8.5 (prior to 8.5.13) and released by Apple starting with macOS 10.6and by ActiveState starting with their 8.5.9.1 release.
- Aqua Carbon Tk
- Because it is implemented with older macOS Carbon interfaces, it isonly available as a 32-bit binary (usually for Intel and PowerPCprocessors). Aqua Carbon Tk 8.4 is included with macOS releases 10.4through 10.14 and is also available from ActiveState. Aqua Carbon variantsof Tk 8.5 had been available as an ActiveState Community Download priorto ActiveTcl 8.5.9. As of 8.5.13, the Tk project no longer supportsCarbon builds of Tk 8.5. 32-bit-only Python installers downloadablefrom this website for older Python releases were linked with Aqua CarbonTk 8.4.
- X11 Tk
- The traditional platform-independent UNIX Tk implementation whichrequires an X11 server, such as the Apple X11.app available as anoptional component in older macOS releases or from third-partydistributors. 64-bit and32-bit binaries can be built. While the Python installers downloadablefrom this website do not support X11 Tk, other distributors ofPython for macOS may do so.
built-in 8.6.8
As of Python 3.7.0, 3.6.8, and 2.7.16, all current Python installers for macOSdownloadable from python.org supplytheir own private copies of Tcl/Tk 8.6.8. They do not look for or use anythird-party or system copies of Tcl/Tk. This is an Aqua Cocoa Tk.
Python 3.8 is now the latest feature release series of Python 3.Get the latest release of 3.8.x here.We plan to continue to provide bugfix releases for 3.7.x until mid 2020 and security fixes until mid 2023. Python 3.7.8rc1 is the release candidate preview of the eighth and most recent maintenance release of Python 3.7. 3.7.8 is expected to be the last bugfix release before 3.7 enters. Getting and Installing MacPython¶. Mac OS X 10.8 comes with Python 2.7 pre-installed by Apple. If you wish, you are invited to install the most recent version of Python from the Python website (current “universal binary” build of Python, which runs natively on the Mac’s new Intel and legacy PPC CPU’s, is available there. Mac OS X 10.8 comes with Python 2.7 pre-installed by Apple. If you wish, you are invited to install the most recent version of Python 3 from the Python website (A current “universal binary” build of Python, which runs natively on the Mac’s new Intel and legacy PPC CPU’s, is available. Mac OS 68k Mac OS 9 Mac OS X: Does not initially include Python support but new language modes can be created. One available here MiPython: SubEthaEdit: Mac OS X: Python syntax coloring. Allow multiple author to edit the same file collaborativelly over the network using 'Bonjour' (previously Rendezvous). TextWrangler: Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
ActiveTcl 8.5.18.0
ActiveState provides binary distributions of Tcl/Tk which are upward compatiblewith and generally more up-to-date than those provided by Apple in macOSreleases. This version of Tcl/Tk includes fixes for some critical problemsthat you may encounter using tkinter or IDLE (see Apple 8.5.9 below).You can download an installer for this release fromthe ActiveState web site.Note that ActiveState Community Edition binaries are not open source andare covered by an ActiveState license. You should read the licensebefore downloading to verify that your usage complies with its terms of use.As of Python 3.7.0, 3.6.8, and 2.7.16, no current Python installers for macOSdownloadable from python.org make use of this or any other external versionof Tcl/Tk.
This is an Aqua Cocoa Tk.
Apple 8.5.9
This release is included in macOS 10.7 through at least macOS 10.14.As of this writing,there are at least two known issues with Tk 8.5.9 thatare present in Apple 8.5.9 Tk but fixed in more recent upstream 8.5 releases.The more serious problem is an immediate crash in Tkwhen entering a composition character, like Option-u on a US keyboard.(This problem is documented asTk bug 2907388.)There is also the more general problem of input manager support for compositecharacters(Tk bug 3205153)which has also been fixed in more recent Tcl/Tk 8.5 releases.You can avoid these problems by using a current python.org installeror by using a third-partydistribution of Python that does not use Apple 8.5.9 Tk.This is an Aqua Cocoa Tk.
Apple 8.5.7
This release is included in macOS 10.6. IDLE is known to hang or crashwhen used with the Apple 8.5.7 included in all versions of macOS 10.6.x.Because of this,we strongly recommend that you do not attempt to use Tkinter or IDLE withthe Apple-supplied Python 2.6.1 in 10.6. Instead, install a newer version ofPython that supports a newer version of Tk.This is an Aqua Cocoa Tk.
Note
While Tcl and Tk areseparate frameworks and libraries, they are closely related and arenormally installed or updated simultaneously. You should notattempt to mix-and-match Tcl and Tk versions. Free mac virus cleaning software. References toa specific version of Tk assume the corresponding version ofTcl is installed as well.
The Python for macOS installers downloaded from this website dynamicallylink at runtime to Tcl/Tk macOS frameworks. The Tcl/Tk major version isdetermined when the installer is created and cannot be overridden.All current python.org installers for Python 3.7.x, 3.6.x,and 2.7.x link to their own built-in Tcl/Tk 8.6 frameworks and do not useexternal Tcl/Tk frameworks so the rest of this section only applies tonon-current releases and, as such, no longer supported.
The Python 64-bit/32-bit macOS installers for Python 3.6.x andand 2.7.x dynamically link to Tcl/Tk 8.5 frameworks.The dynamically linking occurs when tkinter (Python 3)or Tkinter (Python 2) is first imported (specifically, the internal_tkinter C extension module). By default, the macOS dynamic linkerlooks first in /Library/Frameworks for Tcl and Tk frameworks withthe proper major version. This is the standard location for third-partyor built from source frameworks, including the ActiveTcl releases.If frameworks of the proper major version are not found there,the dynamic linker looks for the same version in/System/Library/Frameworks, the location for Apple-suppliedframeworks shipped with macOS. (Note, you should normally not modifyor delete files in /System/Library.)
As is common on macOS, the installed Pythons and the Tcl and Tkframeworks are built to run on multiple CPU architectures (universalbinaries) and across multiple macOS levels (minimum deploymenttarget). For Python to be able to dynamically link with a particularTcl and Tk version, the available architectures in the Tcl/Tk frameworksmust include the architecture that Python is running in and theirminimum deployment target should be no greater than that of Python.
- 2020-06-27 - updated for 3.7.8
- 2020-05-14 - updated for 3.8.3
- 2020-03-10 - updated for 3.8.2 and 3.7.7
- 2019-12-19 - updated for 3.8.1, 3.7.6, and 2.7.17
- 2019-10-15 - updated for 3.8.0, 3.7.5, and macOS 10.15
- 2019-07-08 - updated for 3.7.4; 3.6.x is now security-fix-only
- 2019-03-25 - updated for 3.7.3
- 2019-03-03 - updated for 2.7.16
- 2018-12-24 - updated for 3.7.2 and 3.6.8
- 2018-10-20 - updated for 3.7.1, 3.6.7, and macOS 10.14
- 2018-06-27 - updated for 3.7.0 and 3.6.6
- 2018-05-30 - updated for 3.7.0b5
- 2018-05-02 - updated for 3.7.0b4 and 2.7.15; removed 32-bit-only refs
- 2018-03-29 - updated for 3.7.0b3 and 3.6.5
- 2018-02-28 - updated for 3.7.0b2
- 2018-01-31 - updated for 3.7.0b1 and 3.6.4
- 2017-10-03 - updated for 3.6.3 and macOS 10.13
- 2017-09-16 - updated for 2.7.14; removed 3.5.x
- 2017-07-17 - updated for 3.6.2
- 2017-03-21 - updated for 3.6.1 and (belatedly) 3.5.3
- 2016-12-23 - updated for 3.6.0
- 2016-12-17 - updated for 2.7.13
- 2016-09-23 - updated for macOS 10.12
- 2016-07-31 - updated for 3.5.2 and 2.7.12; removed 3.4.x
- 2015-12-20 - updated for 3.4.4
- 2015-12-06 - updated for 3.5.1, 2.7.11, and macOS 10.11
- 2015-09-13 - updated for 3.5.0
- 2015-05-23 - updated for 2.7.10 and ActiveTcl 8.5.18.0
- 2015-02-23 - updated for 3.4.3
- 2014-12-10 - updated for 2.7.9 and ActiveTcl 8.5.17.0
- 2014-10-16 - updated for macOS 10.10
- 2014-10-06 - updated for 3.4.2 and ActiveTcl 8.5.16.0
- 2014-09-22 - updated for 3.4.2rc1
- 2014-07-01 - updated for 2.7.8
- 2014-06-01 - updated for 2.7.7; removed 2.7.6 and 3.3.5
- 2014-05-18 - updated for 3.4.1 and 2.7.7rc1
- 2014-03-16 - updated for 3.4.0 and 3.3.5
- 2014-02-10 - updated for 3.3.4 and 3.4.0rc1
- 2014-01-05 - updated for 3.4.0b2
- 2013-11-24 - clarify that the ActiveState website still refers to 8.5.15.0
- 2013-11-24 - removed built-in for 3.4.0b1, removed 3.3.2 and 2.7.5
- 2013-11-10 - ActiveTcl 8.5.15.1; removed built-in for 3.3.3rc2 and 2.7.6.
- 2013-10-27 - updated for 3.3.3rc1 and 2.7.6rc1 and their built-in 8.5.15.
- 2013-10-24 - updated for macOS 10.9 and ActiveTcl 8.5.15, removed 3.2.5.
- 2013-10-20 - updated for 3.4.0a4 and its built-in 8.5.15.
- 2013-09-29 - updated for 3.4.0a3
- 2013-09-09 - updated for 3.4.0a2 and its built-in 8.5.14.
- 2013-08-03 - updated for 3.4.0a1 and ActiveTcl 8.4.20
- 2013-05-18 - updated for ActiveTcl 8.5.14
- 2013-05-15 - updated for 3.3.2, 2.7.5, and 3.2.5
- 2013-04-06 - updated for 3.3.1, 2.7.4, and 3.2.4
- 2012-12-26 - updated for ActiveTcl 8.5.13 and Issue 15853 patch installer
- 2012-09-29 - updated for 3.3.0 final and reverted to ActiveTcl 8.5.11.1
- 2012-08-02 - updated for ActiveTcl 8.5.12
- 2012-07-28 - updated for macOS 10.8
- 2012-04-11 - updated for 3.2.3 final and 2.7.3 final
- 2012-03-18 - updated for 3.2.3rc2 and 2.7.3rc2
- 2012-03-04 - updated for ActiveTcl 8.5.11.1, 3.2.3rc1, 2.7.3rc1, removed 3.1.4
- 2011-11-12 - updated for ActiveTcl 8.5.11
- 2011-09-04 - updated for 3.2.2 final
- 2011-07-21 - updated for macOS 10.7 and ActiveTcl 8.5.10.1
- 2011-07-09 - updated for 3.2.1 final and ActiveTcl 8.5.10
- 2011-06-12 - updated for 2.7.2 final and 3.1.4 final
- 2011-05-30 - updated for 3.2.1rc, 2.7.2rc, and 3.1.4rc
- 2011-03-08 - add warnings and include details on how Python links with Tcl/Tk releases
- 2011-02-20 - updated for 3.2 final
- 2011-01-31 draft 1 - preliminary info for 3.2rc2
- 2011-01-14 draft 0
Release Date: June 17, 2020
Python 3.8 is now the latest feature release series of Python 3. Get the latest release of 3.8.x here. We plan to continue to provide bugfix releasesfor 3.7.x until mid 2020 and security fixes until mid 2023.
Python 3.7.8rc1 is the release candidate preview of the eighth and most recent maintenance release of Python 3.7. 3.7.8 is expected to be the last bugfix release before 3.7 enters the security-fix phase of its life cycle.
Note that 3.7.8rc1 is a release preview and thus its use is not recommended for production environments.
Please see the Full Changelog link for more information about the contents of this release and see What’s New In Python 3.7 for more information about 3.7 features.
- PEP 537, 3.7 Release Schedule
- Report bugs at https://bugs.python.org.
- Help fund Python and its community.
Python Web App On Mac Os X 10
- The binaries for AMD64 will also work on processors that implement the Intel 64 architecture. (Also known as the 'x64' architecture, and formerly known as both 'EM64T' and 'x86-64'.)
- There are now 'web-based' installers for Windows platforms; the installer will download the needed software components at installation time.
- There are redistributable zip files containing the Windows builds, making it easy to redistribute Python as part of another software package. Please see the documentation regarding Embedded Distribution for more information.
Install Python On Mac Os
- Please read the 'Important Information' displayed during installation for information about SSL/TLS certificate validation and the running the 'Install Certificates.command'.
- As of 3.7.7, we provide one installer: 64-bit-only that works on macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) and later systems. The deprecated 64-bit/32-bit installer variant for macOS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) is no longer provided.
- As of 3.7.7, macOS installer packages are now compatible with the full Gatekeeper notarization requirements of macOS 10.15 Catalina including code signing.
Version | Operating System | Description | MD5 Sum | File Size | GPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gzipped source tarball | Source release | ee80f7f69207cd7747ab35e8242090fe | 23278362 | SIG | |
XZ compressed source tarball | Source release | 20ecde3ff4a7e3e194f0e040269374e0 | 17394996 | SIG | |
macOS 64-bit installer | Mac OS X | for OS X 10.9 and later | cb81db27ad3c3a43c24b9b96b340ea7f | 29304374 | SIG |
Windows help file | Windows | 31a0d522d76487f2c80aa529483431b4 | 8189260 | SIG | |
Windows x86-64 embeddable zip file | Windows | for AMD64/EM64T/x64 | 3d52710075d9fbcb35dab5b9df0bf7c0 | 7536720 | SIG |
Windows x86-64 executable installer | Windows | for AMD64/EM64T/x64 | bcda1ba3380235d6c2b6076ff1b87466 | 26999048 | SIG |
Windows x86-64 web-based installer | Windows | for AMD64/EM64T/x64 | bd94564dcf6cd88c2b90c404f9c3d8c3 | 1363096 | SIG |
Windows x86 embeddable zip file | Windows | 4815428183bb12286eda2a23135de1a8 | 6765321 | SIG | |
Windows x86 executable installer | Windows | 0968784a4dff4799af1da9416a219221 | 25974824 | SIG | |
Windows x86 web-based installer | Windows | 4a5c73047d3643e1e498508c779d5c1e | 1325328 | SIG |