Installing Python


Python is a popular scientific and research programming language. Users, especially researchers might need a version installed on their computer.

Python is a popular language used in many areas of research so it would seem a reasonable request to install it on users' computers. However in almost all cases, a better answer is to ask the user to install Anaconda themselves. Anaconda can be installed by users and provides a highly customisable Python environment without needing administrator access. Not only does it mean the user can install exactly the version of Python they need along with any libraries they need them self, it also means they can update it in future or have several different environments on the same machine, all without having to ask IT to do any installation.

Anaconda is available for Windows, Mac and Linux from https://www.anaconda.com/distribution/

Research Computing bitesize guides including how to install Anaconda on Windows and Linux

How to use Anaconda on ARC