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Asked: 2024-09-26T20:32:52+05:30 In:

I’m trying to run Python from the command line, but I’m encountering an error that states Python is not recognized as a valid command. What could be causing this issue, and how can I fix it to successfully execute Python scripts from the terminal?

I’ve been diving into Python lately and trying to run some scripts from the command line, but I keep hitting this wall. Every time I type `python` or `python3`, I get an error saying it’s not recognized as a valid command. Super frustrating!

I can’t figure out what’s going wrong. I mean, I installed Python, right? I went through the installer, clicked through all those options, and even thought I selected the option to add it to the PATH. Do you think I might have missed something? Or maybe I just don’t understand how this PATH thing works?

I’ve heard people talk about how you need to set environment variables and all that, but honestly, it sounds like a headache. Is it really necessary to mess with that stuff every time I want to run a simple script? I just want to run my Python code from the terminal without hassle.

Oh, and here’s the kicker – I’ve even tried restarting my terminal and my computer; nothing seems to work! I’m starting to feel like I’m going in circles. Is there some sort of trick or workaround that someone might know about?

I’d appreciate it if anyone could shed some light on why this is happening. Is this a common issue among new Python users or am I just unlucky? I really want to start automating some tasks using Python, but right now, I can’t even get past this initial hurdle.

If anyone has tips on how to check whether Python is installed correctly or how to adjust the PATH variable, that would be amazing! Also, if there’s an easy way to verify the installation or just run a simple “Hello World” script from anywhere in the command line, I’d really love to know how to do that.

Thanks a bunch in advance for any pointers or advice!

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    2 Answers

    1. Your issue is quite common among new Python users, and it primarily revolves around the PATH environment variable. When you install Python, there is an option to add Python to the system PATH, which allows you to run Python commands from any command line interface. If you did select this option and are still encountering issues, it’s possible that the installation did not complete successfully or was not recognized by your terminal. To check if Python is properly installed and added to the PATH, open a new command prompt and type where python or where python3. If it returns a path, Python is installed; if it says the command is not found, you need to adjust the PATH variable manually.

      To add Python to your PATH, you can go to the Start menu and search for “Environment Variables.” Click on “Edit the system environment variables,” then in the System Properties window, click the “Environment Variables” button. Find the “Path” variable in the “System variables” section, click “Edit,” and ensure that the path to your Python installation (usually C:\Python39\ or similar, depending on your version) is included. Once that’s set, open a new terminal window and try running python --version or python3 --version again. For running a basic “Hello World” script, you can create a text file named hello.py containing print("Hello, World!") and execute it by navigating to the file’s directory in the terminal and running python hello.py or python3 hello.py. This should get you going without any further hassle!

    2. Sounds like you’re hitting a classic issue that many new Python users face! First off, it’s great that you’re diving into Python. The fact that the command isn’t recognized usually boils down to the PATH environment variable not including the directory where Python is installed.

      Here’s a simple way to check if Python is installed correctly:

      1. Open Command Prompt (you can search for “cmd” in your start menu).
      2. Type py --version or python --version and hit Enter.
      3. If you see a version number, then Python is indeed installed. If not, read on!

      To add Python to your PATH, follow these steps:

      1. Find out where Python is installed. This is usually something like C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX (XX is the version number).
      2. Go to your Control Panel and search for “Environment Variables.”
      3. Click on “Edit the system environment variables.”
      4. Click the “Environment Variables” button.
      5. In the “System variables” section, look for the “Path” variable and select it, then click “Edit.”
      6. Add a new entry with the path to your Python installation (e.g., C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX) and also add the Scripts directory (it’s usually C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\PythonXX\Scripts).
      7. Click OK to close all windows.

      Once you’ve set that up, restart your terminal (or Command Prompt) and try running python or python3 again. Fingers crossed!

      As for running a simple “Hello World” script, once Python is recognized, create a new file called hello.py using any text editor and add the following:

      print("Hello, World!")

      Save it, then navigate to the directory where your file is using the terminal and run:

      python hello.py

      That should work smoothly if everything is set up correctly. Don’t get discouraged—once you get past this hurdle, it’ll be smooth sailing!

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