MacOS System Prep Guide

MacOS System Prep Guide#

Step 1: Check if Python is Installed#

First things first, let’s make sure Python 3 is set up correctly on your system. If you already have it installed, great! We’ll be able to move straight to installing the Inductiva API like any other Python package.

If it’s missing, we’ll go over how to install it on macOS.

Step-by-Step

  1. Open the Terminal

    Click on the magnifying glass icon in the top-right of your menu bar (near the battery and Wi-Fi icons).

    Type “Terminal” and press Enter to open the Terminal app.

  2. Check for Python3

    In Terminal, type:

     python3

  • If Python 3 is installed, you’ll see something like this:

    Python 3.12.7 (tags/v3.12.7:abcdef, Oct  3 2023, 12:00:00) 
[Clang 13.0.0 (clang-1300.0.29.30)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

  • If Python 3 isn’t installed, you’ll see a message prompting you to install the Command Line Developer Tools, which include Python 3.

    xcode-select: note: No developer tools were found at '/Applications/Xcode.app', requesting installation.
If developer tools are located at a non-default location on disk, use 'sudo xcode-select --switch path/to/Xcode.app' to specify the Xcode that you wish to use for command line developer tools, and cancel the installation dialog.
See 'man xcode-select' for more details.

  1. Install Developer Tools

    Behind your Terminal window, a pop-up should appear asking if you want to install “command line developer tools.” Follow the installation instructions and click Install to start.

    This installation can take a while (up to an hour, depending on your internet speed), as it includes necessary tools for running Python smoothly.

Developer tools install

  1. Test Again

    Once installation is complete, type python3 in the Terminal again. You should now see confirmation that Python 3 is ready to go!

    Python 3.12.7 (tags/v3.12.7:abcdef, Oct  3 2023, 12:00:00) 
[Clang 13.0.0 (clang-1300.0.29.30)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

Step 2: Update pip and Set Up Your PATH for Python#

Now that you have Python 3 installed, let’s make sure pip, the Python package installer, is up to date. This will help avoid any compatibility issues.

Update pip#

To update pip, open your Terminal and type:

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip

This command should run smoothly, but if you see a warning message like this:

WARNING: The scripts pip, pip3, and pip3.9 are installed in '/Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Python/3.9/bin' which is not on PATH.
Consider adding this directory to PATH or, if you prefer to suppress this warning, use --no-warn-script-location.

it means we’ll need to update the PATH environment variable to make sure Python-related commands like pip are accessible from the command line.

Add Python to Your PATH#

If you saw the warning above, it’s time to update your PATH variable. This tells your system where to find Python binaries, like pip, and ensures Inductiva’s Command Line Interface can be accessed later on.

  1. Check Your Current PATH

    In your Terminal, type:

    echo $PATH

    You should see something like this:

    /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/

    In this case, there’s no /Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Python/3.9/bin directory listed, which means pip is not accessible from the command line. We would need to add the Python path manually to ensure smooth installation and usage.

Important

YOURUSERNAME is your actual username, which you can find by checking the Terminal prompt or running whoami in the Terminal!

  1. Add Python to PATH

    To permanently add Python’s location to PATH, let’s edit your profile file. If you’re using the default macOS shell (zsh), follow these steps:

    First, open the profile file in nano editor:

    nano ~/.zshrc

    Then, add the following line at the bottom of the file, replacing YOURUSERNAME with your actual username:

    export PATH=$PATH:/Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Python/3.9/bin

    Now, save the file by pressing CTRL + X, then Y to confirm, and Enter.

  2. Verify the Update

    Close the current Terminal and open a new one. Type:

    echo $PATH

    You should now see /Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Python/3.9/bin included at the end of the PATH.

Awesome! Now that pip is updated and Python is set in your PATH, you’re all set for installing the Inductiva Python Package and start simulating!

If you run into any issues or challenges while installing the API, please reach out to us at support@inductiva.ai. We’d love to help troubleshoot and find ways to make the setup process even smoother.

You can also check out our troubleshooting guide for more information.