Tools for Setting Up Python on a New Machine

There are many ways to get Python installed on your computer. If you were going to start fresh, what tools would you use? What if you need to manage multiple versions of Python and virtual environments? What about all the additional tools that make your coding workflow complete? This week on the show, Calvin Hendryx-Parker is here to talk about bootstrapping your Python environment.

Calvin is the co-founder and CTO of Six Feet Up and a Python Web Conference co-organizer. As a consultant, Calvin has set up countless machines to run Python. He configures environments that can scale from in-office projects to distributed cloud-based applications.

We cover tools for installing Python, managing multiple language versions, and configuring virtual environments. Calvin talks about setting up command-line applications in isolated environments. We also discuss traveling with Python on an iPad.

Topics:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction
• 00:02:42 – Giving talks at IndyPy
• 00:03:12 – Calvin’s talk “Half a Dozen Ways to Fail at Python”
• 00:07:41 – Advice on installing Python using Homebrew and pyenv
• 00:11:48 – The consistency of using a Docker container
• 00:18:49 – Creating virtual environments and installing packages
• 00:21:51 – Sponsor: ScoutAPM
• 00:22:38 – Creating requirements.txt files and moving from pipenv to piptools
• 00:30:54 – Paying attention to security issues and your software supply chain
• 00:34:19 – The goal of making a repeatable developer build experience
• 00:39:30 – Video Course Spotlight
• 00:40:47 – Using pipx to set up CLI code tools
• 00:44:52 – Using bpytop to monitor performance
• 00:46:41 – Tools for using Python on the iPad
• 00:53:06 – Python Web Conference
• 00:56:08 – Moving your dotfiles across multiple machines with chezmoi
• 01:02:22 – Thanks and goodbye

Show Links:

• Half a Dozen Ways to Fail at Python – YouTube
• calvinhp/2019 WaysToFailAtPython – GitHub
• Calvin Hendryx Parker - Bootstrapping your Local Python Environment – YouTube
• calvinhp/2021 BootstrappingYourLocalPythonEnvironment – GitHub
• Six Feet Up: Python web application development and cloud management services
• Homebrew: The Missing Package Manager for macOS (or Linux)
• Chocolatey - The package manager for Windows
• Python 3 Installation & Setup Guide – Real Python
• Your Python Coding Environment on Windows: Setup Guide - Real Python
• Managing Multiple Python Versions With pyenv – Real Python
• A quick-and-dirty guide on how to install packages for Python
• Why you should use “python -m pip”
• pypa/pipenv: Python Development Workflow for Humans.
• pip-tools · PyPI
• safety · PyPI
• Production-ready Docker packaging for Python developers
• pipx: Install and Run Python Applications in Isolated Environments
• bpytop: Resource monitor that shows usage and stats - PyPI
• Episode #272 The tools episode - Python Bytes Podcast
• Road Warrior Developer – YouTube
• 5 Ways To Use Python On An iPad
• Advanced Visual Studio Code for Python Developers – Real Python
• chezmoi: Manage your dotfiles across multiple diverse machines, securely
• Python Web Conference 2022 — Python Web Conf 2022

Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:

• A Beginner's Guide to pip
• Installing Python on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Start Managing Multiple Python Versions With pyenv

Support the podcast & join our community of Pythonistas