I am new to python and need it to run run something else. It is not compatible with the most recent version of python (3.12) but 3.10 only. So i uninstalled 3.12. For 3.10 there is no installer available on the python website so I’ve been trying to install it from the tarball. I downloaded the tarball, unzipped it to the local\programs folder but now i cant figure out what else to do. I have found several guides online but when i use any of the commands they i get “is not a recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.” error. It seems like i need python to install python? If anyone has any advice please help.
Sure there is. The page is disorganized, but just go straight to the Windows download page and search for 3.10. There are 32-bit and 64-bit installers, and 32-bit and 64-bit embeddable packages. There is also an entire page of documentation specifically about how to set up and use Python on Windows, which includes a section about what the embeddable packages are for. (You probably just want the installer, but it seems worth mentioning.)
No. To build Python from the tarball, you need a suite of tools that Windows users normally don’t have available, and a general understanding of what compilers are and how they work, and then to probably follow some other guides. Most of the documentation etc. available for this is oriented towards Linux, because of the perception that typical Windows users just want an installer.
But to install Python on Windows, you just need the Windows installer.
That’s not the case for all Python 3.10 versions. There is no WIndows Installer for 3.10.14, 3.10.13 or 3.10.12. There IS a Windows Installer for 3.10.11. I did not check about other versions before 3.10.11. What motivates providing Windows Installer only for certain versions?
I need to install 3.10.12 and I need to do this via .tgz file. Anyone knows a good step-by-step guide how to do this?
There certainly are for the previous versions. Generally, Windows installers are provided from the start, up to a certain patch release.
Like it says in the 3.10.14 (and 3.10.13, and 3.10.12) release notes:
According to the release calendar specified in PEP 619, Python 3.10 is now in the “security fixes only” stage of its life cycle: 3.10 branch only accepts security fixes and releases of those are made irregularly in source-only form until October 2026. Python 3.10 isn’t receiving regular bug fixes anymore, and binary installers are no longer provided for it. Python 3.10.11 was the last full bugfix release of Python 3.10 with binary installers.
In short, it takes work to keep making them for all the old versions, and the devs have a lot of other things to do - in particular, at the moment, bugfixes for 3.12, and development of 3.13. This is how the work is scheduled now.
Is this, perhaps, because of the SSL thing?
Is there a reason you can’t use the 3.11 branch? The same fixes were added in 3.11.4.
It’s a source tarball (archive). You need a suitable C compiler and the ability to follow instructions to compile a C program, and will probably need to fetch a bunch of dependencies first. You can start here, but expect to run into complications if you aren’t experienced:
The developer’s guide also has some useful hints:
It’s written assuming you’ve checked out source from the GitHub repository, but the build instructions will work fine for an unpacked tarball too.
Thanks a lot @kknechtel for the detailed information and ultra-fast response. This is very helpful. I will try my luck with 3.10.11.