diff --git a/docs/Homebrew-and-Python.md b/docs/Homebrew-and-Python.md index 50e6135f965ce2..a50bc7054e451f 100644 --- a/docs/Homebrew-and-Python.md +++ b/docs/Homebrew-and-Python.md @@ -2,15 +2,12 @@ This page describes how Python is handled in Homebrew for users. See [Python for Formula Authors](Python-for-Formula-Authors.md) for advice on writing formulae to install packages written in Python. -Homebrew should work with any [CPython](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2324208/is-there-any-difference-between-cpython-and-python) and defaults to the macOS system Python. +Homebrew will install the necessary Python 3 version that is needed to make your packages work. Older versions of Python are not supported -Homebrew provides formulae to brew Python 3.y. A `python@2` formula was provided until the end of 2019, at which point it was removed due to the Python 2 deprecation. +## Python 3 -**Important:** If you choose to use a Python which isn't either of these two (system Python or brewed Python), the Homebrew team cannot support any breakage that may occur. - -## Python 3.y - -Homebrew provides formulae for maintained releases of Python 3.y (`python@3.y`). +Homebrew provides formulae for the newest and maintained releases of Python 3 (`python@3.y`) (https://devguide.python.org/versions/). +We keep older `python@3.y` (maintained) versions only to support upstream packages that have not migrated to the newest Python version. **Important:** Python may be upgraded to a newer version at any time. Consider using a version manager such as `pyenv` if you require stability of minor or patch versions for virtual environments. @@ -26,11 +23,13 @@ Unversioned symlinks for `python`, `python-config`, `pip` etc. are installed her $(brew --prefix python)/libexec/bin ``` +**Warning!** The executables do not always point to the latest Python 3 version, as there is always a delay between the newest Python 3 release and the homebrew-core repository switching to the newest version. + ## Setuptools, pip, etc. The Python formulae install [pip](https://pip.pypa.io/) (as `pip3`) and [Setuptools](https://pypi.org/project/setuptools/). -Setuptools can be updated via `pip`, without having to re-brew Python: +Setuptools can be updated via `pip`, without having to reinstall brewed Python: ```sh python3 -m pip install --upgrade setuptools @@ -73,6 +72,8 @@ Some formulae provide Python bindings. These should be installed via `pip install `. To discover, you can use . +Starting with Python 3.12, we highly recommend you to use a separate virtualenv for this (see the section about [PEP688](https://peps.python.org/pep-0668/#marking-an-interpreter-as-using-an-external-package-manager) below). + **Note:** macOS's system Python does not provide `pip`. Follow the [pip documentation](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/installation/) to install it for your system Python if you would like it. ## Brewed Python modules @@ -85,13 +86,22 @@ Since the system Python may not know which compiler flags to set when building b CFLAGS="-I$(brew --prefix)/include" LDFLAGS="-L$(brew --prefix)/lib" pip install ``` -## Virtualenv - **Warning!** When you `brew install` formulae that provide Python bindings, you should **not be in an active virtual environment.** -Activate the virtualenv *after* you've brewed, or brew in a fresh terminal window. This will ensure Python modules are installed into Homebrew's `site-packages` and *not* into that of the virtual environment. +Activate the virtualenv *after* you have installed your package with brew, or install brew's packages in a fresh terminal window. This will ensure Python modules are installed into Homebrew's `site-packages` and *not* into that of the virtual environment. + +## PEP688 (Python@3.12) and virtualenvs + +Starting with Python@3.12, Homebrew follows [PEP688](https://peps.python.org/pep-0668/#marking-an-interpreter-as-using-an-external-package-manager). + +If you wish to install a non-brew-packaged Python package (from Pypi for example): + +- create a virtual environment using `python3 -m venv path/to/venv`. Then use `path/to/venv/bin/python` and `path/to/venv/bin/pip`. +- or use `pipx install xyz`, which will manage a virtual environment for you. + You can install `pipx` by running `brew install pipx`. + When you use `pipx` to install a Python application, it will always use a virtual environment for you. -Virtualenv has a `--system-site-packages` switch to allow "global" (i.e. Homebrew's) `site-packages` to be accessible from within the virtualenv. +It is possible to install some Python packages system-wide, by using `brew install xyz`, where xyz is the package you are trying to install. We do not recommend using these packages and recommend you install them with pip using a virtualenv. These syste-wide Hombrew Python packages are often Homebrew-specific packages that are useful as depdencies for other Homebrew packages. It is not recommended to rely on them. ## Why is Homebrew's Python being installed as a dependency?