How to Check Installed Python version in Windows, Linux & macOS

Python is one of the most popular programming languages, you may want to know what version of Python has been installed on your system, in this article we will check how you can identify that,

Table of Content:

1. How to check installed Python version in Windows OS?
2. How to check installed Python version in macOS?
3. How to check installed Python version in Linux?
4. Unknown Option: -e Error while checking Python version

How to check installed Python version in Windows OS?

If you are on a Windows Operating system, you can try the below steps,

1. Press Ctrl + R to Open RUN and type CMD or Powershell or Bash to open Terminal/Command Prompt.
2. Now type python -V or python --version

   C:\Users\pythonDev>python --version
   Python 3.8.6rc1

   C:\Users\pythonDev>python --V
   Python 3.8.6rc1

   So as you can see I am using 3.8.6 where 3 => Major version, 8 => Minor version, and 6 => Macro Version, rc stands for release candidate (yet not released for production use)

3. You can also use Python Shell to get more details:

   Python 3.8.6rc1 
   (tags/v3.8.6rc1:08bd63d, Sep  7 2020, 23:10:23) [MSC v.1927 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
   Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license()" for more information.
   >>> import sys
   >>> print(sys.version)
   3.8.6rc1 (tags/v3.8.6rc1:08bd63d, Sep  7 2020, 23:10:23) 
   [MSC v.1927 64 bit (AMD64)]

Note: If you are using Windows 10 and you do not have Python installed on your System, just type python in the command prompt at it will open up Microsoft Store with Python 3.8 page were you can easily get Python installed.

Python -V was introduced in Python 2.5+, so if you are using an older version, this command may not work!

-V     : print the Python version number and exit (also --version)
         when given twice, print more information about the build

How to check installed Python version in macOS?

⛏️ Python comes pre-installed with macOS, so you do not need to install it separately unless you want to upgrade to a new version, or have to use multiple Python versions at a time.

1. Go to Finder -> Application -> Utilities
2. Open Terminal
3. Type python --version or python -V to check the version:

   pythonDev: $ python --version
   Python 3.8.1

How to check installed Python version in Linux?

⛏️ Again like macOS, Python usually comes pre-installed with the latest versions of Linux flavors, so you do not need to install it separately unless you want to use multiple Python versions at a time.

1. Open Terminal: You can do that by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T key combinations
2. Type python --version or python -V to check the version:

   linuxBox: $ python --version
   Python 3.8.7

Unknown Option: -e Error while checking Python version

If you type the command incorrectly, single hyphen instead of two you will get the below message!

C:\Users\pythonDev>python -version
Unknown option: -e
usage: python [option] ... [-c cmd | -m mod | file | -] [arg] ...
Try `python -h' for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1. How to Check Python Version on Windows:

   • Open Command Prompt.
   • Type python --version or python -V.
   • Press Enter to display the installed Python version.

2. How to Verify Python Version on Windows:

   • Use Command Prompt.
   • Execute python --version or python -V command.
   • The installed Python version will be shown.

3. Finding Python Version on Windows:

   • Go to Command Prompt.
   • Enter python --version or python -V.
   • The Python version is displayed.

4. Checking Python Version via Command Prompt (Windows):

   • Open Command Prompt.
   • Run python --version or python -V command.
   • Your Python version will be shown.

5. Linux Python Version Command:

   • In a terminal, use python --version or python -V.
   • This displays the Python version on Linux.

6. Determine Python Version on Linux:

   • In a Linux terminal, execute python --version or python -V.
   • The installed Python version is revealed.

7. Terminal Command for Checking Python Version (Linux):

   • In the terminal, use python --version or python -V.
   • The Python version is displayed.

8. Identifying Python Version on macOS:

   • Open macOS Terminal.
   • Type python --version or python -V.
   • Press Enter to see the installed Python version.

9. Checking Python Version in macOS Terminal:

   • Use macOS Terminal.
   • Execute python --version or python -V command.
   • Your Python version will be shown.

10. Methods for Checking Python Version on Different OS:

    • Windows, Linux, and macOS use the same python --version or python -V commands in their respective terminals.

11. Checking Multiple Python Versions Simultaneously:

    • Yes, multiple Python versions can coexist on your system. Use version-specific commands like python2 --version or python3 --version.

12. Output of "python -V" Command:

    • "python -V" displays the installed Python version, for example, "Python 3.8.2".

13. Checking Python 2.x and 3.x Versions:

    • Use python2 --version or python3 --version to check Python 2.x and 3.x versions separately.

14. Recommended Way for Scripting:

    • The sys module in Python allows you to script version checks using sys.version.

15. Checking Python Version with a Script:

    • Yes, you can create a Python script to programmatically check the installed Python version using sys.version.

16. GUI Tools for Checking Python Versions:

    • Yes, there are GUI tools like "Python Launcher" for macOS and "Python Launcher for Windows" to check and manage Python versions.

17. What to Do If Python Isn't Installed:

    • Download the latest Python version from the official website and follow installation instructions.

18. Upgrading or Downgrading Python:

    • Use the official Python installer to upgrade or downgrade Python to a specific version.

19. Checking the Latest Python Version:

    • Visit the Python official website to find the latest version and download it if needed.

20. Importance of Checking Python Version:

    • Regular version checks ensure compatibility with scripts and packages, and help you stay up to date with the latest features and security updates.

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