IDLE stands for Integrated Development Environment. It is a graphical user interface for Python development is well suited for newbies since it has a simple IDE feature list. The IDE allows you to edit, execute and debug Python programs in an easy GUI environment. It is supported on all major platforms, like Windows, Linux, Mac OS, etc.
It supports the following features:
- Fully featured text editor
- An integrated debugger to find errors
- Featured with a built-in and interactive python shell
- Word auto-completion
- Cross-platform support
Visit the following official documentation for more information on IDLE:
https://docs.python.org/3/library/idle.html
In this article, we will show you how to install IDLE Python IDE in your Linux system using the command line.
We have used Debian 10 OS for running the commands and procedure mentioned in this article.
Install IDLE
by default, Python is installed in the latest Debian releases and generally comes with the IDLE application as well. However, if you have minimal installation with no IDLE application, then the following method can be used to install it:
Open command line, the Terminal application in your Debian OS. For that, go to the Activities tab located at the top left corner of your desktop. Then from the search menu that appears, search for the Terminal application and launch it.
Now, first we will need to update the package repository. For that, execute the following command in Terminal:
$ sudo apt-get update
Next, in order to install IDLE3 on your system, execute the following command as sudo in Terminal:
$ sudo apt-get install idle3
The system will prompt you to proceed the installation by providing you with Y/n option. Hit y, and the installation will be started on your system.
Launch IDLE
Once the installation is completed, you can launch IDLE from either via Terminal or via the Application's menu.
To launch IDLE via Terminal, type the following command in Terminal:
$ idle
To launch via Application's menu, hit the super key on your keyboard and from the search bar that appears, search for the IDLE by using the keyword as follows:
Click on the IDLE icon shown in the results to launch it.
When you will launch IDLE, the following shell window will appear. It enables you to run python commands and see the results right away without having to build a program. Three "greater" or ">" symbols indicate that your code will start from there.
For instance, let’s try out by printing something. Place the cursor after the ">>>" symbols and then enter the following line and hit Enter.
Print (“Hello World!”)
You will receive the output as follows:
To save this file, choose Save/Save As from the File menu.
In this article, we have learned how to install IDLE Python IDE on a Debian 10 machine. Now you can integrate this Python IDE on your Debian system and benefit from its GUI based simple to use feature set.