Installation instructions on a Mac

Adjusting your keyboard language

While using the software for this course, your computer’s keyboard language must be set to English. If needed, please follow these instructions to change your keyboard language.

Installing Python and Spyder

1. Make sure that you have the latest version of macOS for your computer and update it as needed.

2. Go to the installation page for Spyder.

3. Under the heading for Downloading and installing, click on the link for macOS Installer.

   Important: If you receive an error message that says you are downloading from an unsafe or unknown site, you’ll need to change your security preferences, at least temporarily, by taking the steps outlined in the Lowering security settings section below.

4. Go to your download folder and launch the disk image (.dmg) file.

5. When presented with the end-user license agreement, click Agree.

6. When presented with a Spyder window, click and drag the Spyder icon to the Applications folder shortcut.

7. Try to run Spyder by using the Spotlight tool to search for and run the program.

   Important: The first time that you attempt to run Spyder, macOS may offer to trash the file because it’s not from an identified developer. Don’t trash it, but click Cancel instead. Next, do the following:

   • go to Apple Menu -> System Preferences -> Security -> General

   • click the lock icon in the lower-left corner to unlock

   • click the button Open Anyway to allow Spyder.app to run.

   Important: If you get an error message that says “spyder encountered a fatal error and will now terminate”, you should update your version of macOS (see step 1) and then try running Spyder again.

   If you are unable to get Spyder to run after updating macOS, you should:

   • uninstall Spyder
   • use an alternative set of directions to install Spyder as part of larger set of tools known as Anaconda.

Configuring Spyder

Once you have installed Spyder, you must configure it by following the instructions found here.

Allowing Python to import files

Occasionally, we need one of our Python files to import code from another Python file. To ensure that Python is able to do this, you should take the following steps:

1. Navigate to System Preferences (using the Spotlight tool as needed).

2. Select Security and Privacy.

3. Select Files and Folders.

4. Find Spyder in your list of applications and give it access to your Desktop, Downloads, and Documents folders.

Lowering security settings

OS X may stop you from downloading or running applications downloaded from the Web (as opposed to through the Mac App Store) unless you lower your security settings. Here’s how to adjust them so that you may install and run applications from anywhere:

1. Open System Preferences, located under the Apple menu in the top left corner.
2. In the Security & Privacy preference pane, click the lock icon and authenticate as an administrator user.
3. Make sure the radio button under Allow applications downloaded from: is set to Anywhere.
4. Re-download or re-open the desired application.

Last updated on September 8, 2024.