Download Standard Python Software

Note: there's a security fix for SimpleXMLRPCServer.py in Python 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4. Versions before 2.2 are not vulnerable. Of the releases below, only 2.3.5 and 2.4.1 and later include the fix.

Python 2.4.2 is the current production version of Python. You should start here if you want to learn Python or if you want the most stable version. Here are some quick download links; if you want the MD5 checksums and OpenPGP signatures, look at the Python 2.4.2 page:

This is a list of the standard releases, both source and Windows installers. Consider your needs carefully before using a version other than the current production version:

Information about specific ports, and developer info:

OpenPGP Public Keys

Starting with Python 2.3, the release manager has signed both the source tarball and the Windows executable with their OpenPGP key:

You can import the release manager public keys by either downloading the public key file from here and then running
% gpg --import pubkeys.txt
or by grabbing the individual keys directly from the keyserver network by running this command:
% gpg --recv-keys 6A45C816 ED9D77D5
On the version-specific download pages, you should see a link to both the downloadable file and a detached signature file. To verify the authenticity of the download, grab both files and then run this command:
% gpg --verify Python-2.4.tgz.asc
Note that you must use the name of the signature file, and you should use the one that's appropriate to the download you're verifying.

These instructions are geared to GnuPG and Unix command-line weenies. Suggestions are welcome for other platforms and OpenPGP applications.

Other Useful Items

  • Looking for 3rd party Python modules? The Package Index has them all.

  • You can view the standard documentation online, or you can download it in HTML, PostScript, PDF and other formats. See the the main Documentation page.

  • Tip: even if you download a ready-made binary for your platform, it makes sense to also download the source. This lets you browse the standard library (the subdirectory Lib) and the standard collections of demos (Demo) and tools (Tools) that come with it. There's a lot you can learn from the source!

  • There is also a collection of Emacs packages that the Emacsing Pythoneer might find useful. This includes major modes for editing Python, C, C++, Java, etc., Python debugger interfaces and more. Most packages are compatible with Emacs and XEmacs.

Want to contribute? See the Python Developer's Guide to learn about how Python development is managed.

Python is OSI Certified Open Source: