Merge pull request realpython#872 from kcolton/patch-1

kennethreitz · web-flow · commit a904091908e2 · 2018-02-10T06:35:00.000-06:00
(osx) how to make `python` reference `python3`
diff --git a/docs/starting/install3/osx.rst b/docs/starting/install3/osx.rst
@@ -102,6 +102,22 @@ will launch the homebrew-installed Python 3 interpreter.
 If the Homebrew version of Python 2 is installed then ``pip2`` will point to Python 2.
 If the Homebrew version of Python 3 is installed then ``pip3`` will point to Python 3.
 
+The rest of the guide will assume that ``python`` references Python 3. You can simply choose to always invoke ``python3`` instead, and much is backwards compatible. However, performing the following steps will set Python 3 as the default interpreter for ``python`` in a shell.
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+    # Do I have a Python 2 problem?
+    $ python --version
+    Python 2.7.10 # Referencing OSX system install
+    $ which python
+    /usr/bin/python # Yup, homebrew's would be in /usr/local/bin
+    
+    # Symlink /usr/local/bin/python to python3
+    $ ln -s /usr/local/bin/python3 /usr/local/bin/python
+    
+    $ python --version
+    Python 3.6.4 # Success! 
+    # If you still see 2.7 ensure in PATH /usr/local/bin/ takes pecedence over /usr/bin/
 
 Pipenv & Virtual Environments
 -----------------------------
