By default MacOS ships with Python-2.-. But, I guess most of us have long back started to work with Python-3 and it is very irritating to run python3 every time instead of python in terminal. Here is how to do this.
Open the terminal (bash or zsh) whatever shell you are using.
Install python-3 using Homebrew (https://brew.sh).
brew install python
Look where it is installed.
ls -l /usr/local/bin/python*
The output is something like this:
lrwxr-xr-x 1 irfan admin 34 Nov 11 16:32 /usr/local/bin/python3 -> ../Cellar/python/3.7.5/bin/python3
lrwxr-xr-x 1 irfan admin 41 Nov 11 16:32 /usr/local/bin/python3-config -> ../Cellar/python/3.7.5/bin/python3-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 irfan admin 36 Nov 11 16:32 /usr/local/bin/python3.7 -> ../Cellar/python/3.7.5/bin/python3.7
lrwxr-xr-x 1 irfan admin 43 Nov 11 16:32 /usr/local/bin/python3.7-config -> ../Cellar/python/3.7.5/bin/python3.7-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 irfan admin 37 Nov 11 16:32 /usr/local/bin/python3.7m -> ../Cellar/python/3.7.5/bin/python3.7m
lrwxr-xr-x 1 irfan admin 44 Nov 11 16:32 /usr/local/bin/python3.7m-config -> ../Cellar/python/3.7.5/bin/python3.7m-config
Change the default python symlink to the version you want to use from above.
Note that, we only need to choose the one that end with python3.*. Please avoid using the ones' that end with config or python3.*m or python3.*m-config.
Below command shows how it should be done:
ln -s -f /usr/local/bin/python3.7 /usr/local/bin/python
Close the current terminal session or keep it that way and instead open a new terminal window (not tab). Run this:
python --version
You will get this:
Python 3.7.5
Hah! That's it. Happy coding!!
Latest comments (84)
Thanks dude. It worked.
Glad it helped :)
Good Job, It works for me. Thanks!
I am frustrated... Nothing worked for me. Am i doing something wrong? (macOs 10.13.6)
Last login: Wed Jun 8 17:13:10 on ttys000
(base) Leelou:~ leelou$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/python*
lrwxr-xr-x 1 leelou admin 24 Jun 8 17:12 /usr/local/bin/python -> /usr/local/bin/python3.7
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 71 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/python-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python-32
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 75 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/python-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 leelou admin 25 Jun 8 16:24 /usr/local/bin/python.old -> /usr/local/bin/python3.10
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 69 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/python2 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 72 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/python2-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2-32
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 76 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/python2-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 leelou admin 25 Jun 8 16:55 /usr/local/bin/python2.7 -> /usr/local/bin/python3.10
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 74 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/python2.7-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2.7-32
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 78 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/python2.7-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2.7-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 70 Jun 8 16:42 /usr/local/bin/python3 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin/python3
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 72 Sep 26 2017 /usr/local/bin/python3-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/bin/python3-32
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 77 Jun 8 16:42 /usr/local/bin/python3-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin/python3-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 78 Jun 8 16:42 /usr/local/bin/python3-intel64 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin/python3-intel64
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 73 Jun 8 16:42 /usr/local/bin/python3.10 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin/python3.10
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 80 Jun 8 16:42 /usr/local/bin/python3.10-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin/python3.10-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 81 Jun 8 16:42 /usr/local/bin/python3.10-intel64 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin/python3.10-intel64
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 71 Sep 26 2017 /usr/local/bin/python3.6 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/bin/python3.6
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 74 Sep 26 2017 /usr/local/bin/python3.6-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/bin/python3.6-32
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 78 Sep 26 2017 /usr/local/bin/python3.6-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/bin/python3.6-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 72 Sep 26 2017 /usr/local/bin/python3.6m -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/bin/python3.6m
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 79 Sep 26 2017 /usr/local/bin/python3.6m-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/bin/python3.6m-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 78 Jun 19 2019 /usr/local/bin/python3.7-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/bin/python3.7-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 72 Jun 19 2019 /usr/local/bin/python3.7m -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/bin/python3.7m
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 79 Jun 19 2019 /usr/local/bin/python3.7m-config -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/bin/python3.7m-config
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 69 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/pythonw -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/pythonw
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 72 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/pythonw-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/pythonw-32
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 70 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/pythonw2 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/pythonw2
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 73 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/pythonw2-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/pythonw2-32
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 72 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/pythonw2.7 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/pythonw2.7
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 75 Oct 30 2019 /usr/local/bin/pythonw2.7-32 -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/pythonw2.7-32
/usr/local/bin/python3.7:
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 13 leelou wheel 416 Jun 19 2019 site-packages
(base) Leelou:~ leelou$ pip3 --version
pip 22.1.2 from /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip (python 3.10)
(base) Leelou:~ leelou$ pip3 install --upgrade pip
Requirement already satisfied: pip in /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/lib/python3.10/site-packages (22.1.2)
(base) Leelou:~ leelou$ which pip
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin/pip
(base) Leelou:~ leelou$ sudo ln -s -f /usr/local/bin/python3.10 /usr/local/bin/python
Password:
(base) Leelou:~ leelou$ python --version
Python 2.7.17
(base) Leelou:~ leelou$
didn't work.
nice try though
ln -s -f /usr/local/bin/python3.9 /usr/local/bin/python
(venv) (base) robwheeler@Roberts-MBP practice-tools % python --version
Python 3.7.3
(venv) (base) robwheeler@Roberts-MBP practice-tools %
How i could easily switch back to 2.7 if needet for one or other old project ?
Tried
pip3 --version
pip 21.3.1 from /Users/nick/Library/Python/3.8/lib/python/site-packages/pip (python 3.8)
pip --version
zsh: command not found: pip
tried every command stream in the posts... No luck:
nick2@NWS-Pro-21 ~ % python3 --version
Python 3.8.9
nick2@NWS-Pro-21 ~ % python --version
Python 2.7.18
nick2@NWS-Pro-21 ~ % python -V
Python 2.7.18
python3 --version
Python 3.8.9
this is on macOS Monterrey 12.0.1
i am an oldie 62 ex unix 5.3.1 and a newbie at same time...
Awesome, thanks!
// That worked for me on Big Sur
exec $SHELL -l
which python
/usr/local/bin/python
python --version
This worked for me -- was able to connect to Python 3.9, so thank you for sharing this. I am not sure why Apple still ships with Python 2 (I have the M1 MacBook pro and still had this!) ;-)
Again, thank you!
Thank you for the tutorial!
One thing I am not sure about is pip.
For some reason when I use "pip --version" the outcome is this:
pip 21.2.4 from /Library/Python/3.8/site-packages/pip (python 3.8)
and when I use "pip3 --version", the outcome is:
pip 21.2.4 from /usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pip (python 3.9)
Any ideas on why are they using different python releases? And how to update it.
I fixed this by reinstalling pip with the following the commands:
curl bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py -o get-pip.py
python get-pip.py
I have solved that by installing the script Update Shell Profile.command
in the python file found in Applications.
worked! thanks
Hi I am having a similar problem but i just recently updated to MacOs Big sure and I have been trying to install aws cli and ran into this python version issue. Below is the output of ls -l /usr/local/bin/python*: however i am still getting Python 3.7.10 as my default and I will like to change that to python3.9
The first 10 lines of ls -l /usr/local/bin/python* is below :
rwxr-xr-x root admin 24 B Wed Apr 7 09:42:43 2021 python ⇒ /usr/local/bin/python3.9
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 71 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python-32 ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python-32
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 75 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python-config ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python-config
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 69 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python2 ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 72 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python2-32 ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2-32
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 76 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python2-config ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2-config
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 71 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python2.7 ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2.7
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 74 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python2.7-32 ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2.7-32
rwxr-xr-x christian wheel 78 B Sun Nov 8 08:08:51 2015 python2.7-config ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2.7-config
rwxr-xr-x root wheel 69 B Wed Apr 7 07:59:49 2021 python3 ⇒ ../../../Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/bin/python3
Did you try this:
ln -s -f /usr/local/bin/python3.9 /usr/local/bin/pythonProvided you have installed Python 3.9.
Had to also run this:
export PATH=/usr/local/opt/python3/libexec/bin:$PATH
Thanks, all
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