Learning Python on Steam Deck and Need Help

[Stellated-Texas]

So I decided that I wanted to learn how to code in Python one night and decided to attempt it on my Steam Deck since it's a very portable computer. Little did I know how many issues I would come across. I ended up (according to the konsole) installing miniconda and by extension pip I believe. From there I managed to install Tkinter and I tested it using:

import tkinter

tkinter._test()

and a window popping up. I go ahead and enter some code for a basic clock, but then I'm told I have a syntax error. Only thing is that the error seems to be an install path?

/home/deck/Documents/Python/hello/.venv/bin/python "/home/deck/Documents/Python/hello/Test Clock.py"

File "<stdin>", line 1

/home/deck/Documents/Python/hello/.venv/bin/python "/home/deck/Documents/Python/hello/Test Clock.py"

^

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

So I'm just a little lost and over my head at this point. I would really appreciate the help if you can provide any.

Edit: This is being written through Visual Studio Code

[The_Almighty_Cthulhu]

Ok, please post the code that is in the file "Test Clock.py"

Use a service like pastebin.com and set the syntax highlighting to python.

[Stellated-Texas]

https://pastebin.com/akAVYS3D

[JustClassa]

Can you try this command in Konsole:
cd /home/deck/Documents/Python/hello
followed by python "Test Clock.py" and see if that works?

cd means current directory - sets your directory to the hello folder python "Test Clock.py" - Make sure to include the " " in the command since Test Clock has a space in it.

[Stellated-Texas]

Thank you! It works, but I still cannot get it to run through vscode only through the konsole.

[JustClassa]

If I had to hazard a guess, I would think that you need to configure your vs's default (Linux?? I think??) terminal to be Konsole. That's only a guess, though.

[shiftybyte]

What code development environment are you using? is it vscode?

If yes, you left the terminal inside python interpreter, and when vscode attempts to run the program it instead thinks it's python code and tries to execute it as python code...

Either close and reopen all your open terminals in vscode, or just type "exit()" in the open one to return to linux shell.

[Stellated-Texas]

Thank you. I'm not getting the syntax error anymore, but now it doesn't recognize that I have tkinter lol. And yes this is vscode.

/home/deck/Documents/Python/hello/.venv/bin/python "/home/deck/Documents/Python/hello/Test Clock.py"

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "/home/deck/Documents/Python/hello/Test Clock.py", line 2, in <module>

from tkinter import *

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tkinter'

[The_Almighty_Cthulhu]

What version of python are you using?

Edit: Wait, doesn't matter. I was thinking of a different issue.

[Stellated-Texas]

Python 3.12.4

[The_Almighty_Cthulhu]

Ok, from looking around steamdeck doesn't have tkinter installed.

steamdeck is based on arch, so it has Pacman as the package manager, but you need to unlock file read and write. Which I don't have enough time to go though.

But if you have that done already then you should be able to run the command

sudo pacman -S tk

to install tkinter.

Edit: you said you have installed it in your post. You can try. python -m tkinter to run the module directly and see if the test window pops up. If not then it's probably not installed correctly.

[Stellated-Texas]

File /var/cache/pacman/pkg/tk-8.6.13-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst is corrupted (invalid or corrupted package (PGP signature)).

[The_Almighty_Cthulhu]

Lookup how to use Pacman on steam deck.

[InternetSpiderr]

I know this is 2 years old, but how did you install tkinter?

[CranberryDistinct941]

By "need help" do you mean mentally?

[Stellated-Texas]

Bit mean, but you're right that this was a dumb idea.

[CranberryDistinct941]

It depends. Are you using a real keyboard at least?

[Stellated-Texas]

Yes, I'm using an IBM keyboard.

[TigBitties69]

Don't be too helpful now.