Python Updating on macOS

What version of macOS do you currently have installed? Once I know that, I can get you current with Python3 3.13.2.

After macOS Monterey 12.3, Apple stopped including Python 2 in the operating system. Apple has never provided Python 3 in macOS unless via Xcode or the command-line tools for Xcode. Have you installed either of these?

Python 3.8.6 was a Sept 2020 release. You might consider installing the current Python 3.13.2 from Python.org to stay current with bug fixes and feature updates, although Python 3.9.0 or later versions are still available there.

Any packages that you added to 3.8.6 should be updated for later Python 3 versions using:

/usr/local/bin/pip3 install -U pip
/usr/local/bin/pip3 install -U packagename

Also probably a good idea to have your SHELL PATH set to the following in your SHELL dotfile:

export PATH="$HOME:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/versions/current/bin:${PATH}"

These won't be updates per se as they are standalone new version installations into /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/versions with links back to /usr/local/bin/{python3, pip3, idle3}.

rothnd wrote:

However, when I tried installing the requirements for a new python script it failed multiple times at the 'pip install requirements' phase with some error about/around wheel.

Any specifics?

Download the Python 3.13.2 installer from Python.org. It will install Universal2 binaries meaning that it is supported on Apple Silicon and Intel platforms.

Your old optional, third-party Python packages probably have been updated to work with newer Python versions since 3.8.6. The Python.org install links the current Python 3.13.2 binaries into your /usr/local/bin directory. Once that is done, you can issue these commands (note the explicit path), and -U is update:

/usr/local/bin/pip3 install -U pip
/usr/local/bin/pip3 install -U oldpackage1 oldpackage2 oldpackage3 ... oldpackagen

This will update pip if it needs it and then all of those older packages you may have installed from third parties. The packages will be written into:

/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/lib/python3.13/site-packages

and you can confirm what was installed by:

/usr/local/bin/pip3 list

That PATH statement I mentioned earlier goes into your ~/.bash_profile or ~/.zshrc file depending on the SHELL you are currently using.

I tend to place this first line in my Python script files:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

If you’re trying to install it via homebrew, then homebrew is probably the problem.

Python.org has links to pre-compiled binary that I have installed on several macOS versions and they work fine.