UT Austin Computer Science

Python on Mac OSX Setup

Software Engineering • Summer 2026
Python installation notes for Mac OSX.
Install Python 3.12.x, preferably Python 3.12.3, and verify it from Terminal.
Related: Start Here • Python on Windows • Python on Mac OSX • Unix/Linux Commands
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Install Python 3.12.3 on Mac OSX

  1. 1. Download the macOS installer

    Download the Python 3.12.3 macOS installer from Python.org. Python 3.12.x is acceptable, but Python 3.12.3 is preferred to match the UTCS machines:

    https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.12.3/python-3.12.3-macos11.pkg

    You may also use the Python 3.12.3 release page if you prefer to choose the installer manually:

    https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-3123/
  2. 2. Run the installer

    After downloading the package, double-click the installer and follow the steps in the graphical installer.

  3. 3. Check the installation

    Open Terminal and run:

    $ python3 --version
Python 3.12.3

    Depending on your Mac configuration, python --version may also work, but python3 is usually the safer command on macOS.

  4. 4. Use Terminal for course commands

    For this course, you will use Terminal to run Python, Git, coverage, pylint, and other command-line tools.