How to Install Python on a Mac
Until recently, the language's lack of standard development tooling, plus competing optional-but-essential development tools, meant a rocky start for Python beginners.
To cut through the confusion, I'll show you an up-to-date approach to install Python and set up a programming project, using a single tool named Rye, to install Python versions and software libraries.
Rye is an all-in-one project management tool for Python, written in Rust (for speed) and inspired by Cargo, Rust's comprehensive package manager, from Armin Ronacher, the creator of the Python web framework Flask. It's ideal for beginners, borrowing a folder-based approach to development from other languages such as JavaScript and Ruby.
You'll need a terminal application, either Mac Terminal or an alternative such as Warp Terminal (a tool I call, "the fastest way to become a command-line power user").
You may have heard that Python is pre-installed on your Mac. Older Macs (prior to macOS 12.3) came with Python 2.7. That's an older version, not the Python 3 that you need. Newer Macs don't come with a pre-installed Python.
