Follow the instructions in the book to get Python 3.5 installed.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 is all about getting Python installed on your laptop.
Notes for Windows Users
Install the latest version of Python 3 from Python.org. It will set up a shortcut in your start menu for the Python 3 flavor of Idle.
Notes for Linux Users
Most distributions of Linux have both Python 2.7 and 3.x installed. To check if you have Python 3 (which the book requires), type
python3
in a terminal. You should launch a basic Python console you can then quit with the Control + C key-combo.Try
idle3
to launch Idle editor and shell the book recommends. If it isn’t recognized, You can install it with:sudo apt-get install idle3
for Ubuntu, Mint, Elementary OS, and other Debian derivatives.Notes for Mac Users
Install Python 3. Idle may not get added to your applications menu, but you should be able to launch it after installing Python 3 by typing
idle3
in a terminal.
If you’re a more sophisticated user, feel free to use your favorite text editor and a terminal to run all the stuff we’ll encounter. Idle’s a bit unsophisticated, but it does the job well enough here and will provide a unified interface for all students, regardless of the system they’re on.