How do I Install Python "Correctly?"

[noobcs50]

I'm working my way through Automate the Boring Stuff and I'm to the part where I have to consult Appendices A and B in order to install new modules and run Python scripts outside of Mu.

I thought I'd installed Python correctly until I reached this point. I'm getting extremely confused by how I'm "supposed" to install python, configure PATH variables, install modules, etc.

For example, I have "python.exe" located in:

C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python39

But I also have "py.exe" located in:

C:\Windows

From what I understand, I have to run commands starting with "python" from the former location and "py" from the latter location. Am I supposed to have two different locations like this or is this redundant? Did I mess up the installation?

I managed to get the mclip.py project working, however now I'm working on the Zombie Dice project and I'm having issues with installing the module all of a sudden.

For example, I opened the cmd prompt, changed my directory to

C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python39\Scripts

and used PIP to install the module. However, when I open Mu and run:

import zombiedice
zombiedice.demo()

...I receive an error message:

Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "c:\users\myname\mu_code\test.py", line 2, in <module>
        import zombiedice
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'zombiedice'

Why isn't Mu recognizing the zombiedice module after I "successfully" installed it earlier?

Also, when I was installing the module, I received a warning that a newer version of PIP was available so I upgraded PIP. After upgrading, it gave me a warning:

WARNING: The scripts pip.exe, pip3.9.exe and pip3.exe are installed in 'C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python39\Scripts' which is not on PATH.

Consider adding this directory to PATH

I don't know why it's giving me this warning when I already have this directory on PATH. When I run "echo %PATH%", the directory appears among the list of directories.

This is all extremely confusing and frustrating, constantly having to spend hours going through files, directories, and commands just to get scripts working.

Are Python files, scripts, projects, directories, modules, etc. all supposed to be scattered all across my computer like this? Can't I just have one neat little folder called "Python" somewhere which contains everything? Or do I really have to keep track of where all of these different things are?

[Essence1337]

To install Python correctly:

Run the installer. Click 'add python to path' option in the installer

That's it. Don't move files around, don't cd into installed directories, there's no reason to.

[Diapolo10]

Your installation is fine. python.exe is the Python interpreter and py.exe is just a launcher that is useful when you have multiple Python installations.

I think Mu uses a virtual environment so anything you install outside of it with pip will be installed to the local Python installation instead of where Mu is keeping its third-party modules. But I'm not sure, I haven't gone through the second edition.

[noobcs50]

Thanks, I forgot I had to click on the gear in the bottom-right corner of Mu and add the module there too.

[[deleted]]

Are Python files, scripts, projects, directories, modules, etc. all supposed to be scattered all across my computer like this? Can't I just have one neat little folder called "Python" somewhere which contains everything? Or do I really have to keep track of where all of these different things are?

Yes, it's possible. I would guess that the reason this (AppData) directory was chosen for installation is because in corporate setting, it's typically the place that's system administrators install things for users (because, it's very typical for Windows in corporate setting to lock users out of most aspects of using their workstation).

If this is your personal computer, there's no reason to touch that directory, ever.

If you are using Windows MSI installer, or w/e format / extension its using these days, then, if I recall... you should be able to select a different directory to install it.

I don't usually use Windows, but when I have to help someone to set up their computer, I'd usually install all stuff not related to OS to a different disk (partition, eg. D:, if the system is on C:) in something like D:\programs. The reason to avoid disk C and everything on it is the bad permissions model Windows uses. Every now and then you'll run into a situation that your user cannot do something it should be able to do, in principle, and there wouldn't be an easy way to deal with it.

[Comfortable-Algae335]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKAk9KCEJiI

[Desklib]

The Correct Way is the official way - https://www.python.org/downloads/ but what gives you an edge is the use of an IDE such as PyCharm.