Hi, instructions in Windows section of GettingStarted should be updated to use py. https://www.pygame.org/wiki/GettingStarted
With python3.6 installed, this is on PATH by default. py -m pip install pygame py -m pygame.examples.aliens Does that work for you? Unfortunately there isn't yet a GUI package manager by default on windows. best, On Wed, May 17, 2017 at 1:28 AM, Irv Kalb <i...@furrypants.com <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','i...@furrypants.com');>> wrote: > One of the colleges where I teach has made a decision to move from Python > 2 to Python 3. To help the admin's, I was asked to give detailed > instructions on how to install Python 3 and pygame. The school has mostly > Windows machines, so I thought I would try that out first. > > I have to admit that I am a Mac guy and, I am NOT a command line guy, > never used the command line on Windows. (I have typically used high level > Interactive Development Environments, and I use IDLE to teach Python). > > I decided to test things out on my home computer, which is a Windows 7 > system. I had run Python 2 on it, so I removed that (using Remove > Programs) before I started. I read up on what to do, and here's what > happened: > > 1) Install Python 3. I went to Python.org, rolled over The Downloads > tab, and clicked on Python 3.6.1. That downloaded an exe for me. When I > went to run that exe, it said that this would install Python 3.6.1-32 bit > version. I had expected it to detect that I am running a 64 bit operating > system, and install the 64 bit version of Python, but I installed the 32 > bit version anyway. I did check the "Add Python 3.6.1 to PATH?" checkbox > on. > > After installation, I was able to bring up IDLE, and run a simple Hello > World program. > > 2) Install pygame. I went to pygame.org, and attempted to follow the > instructions there. I went to Getting Started, then clicked on > Installation. The page there says "The best way to install pygame is with > the pip tool (which is what Python uses to install packages.) Note, this > comes with python in recent versions. We use the --user flag to tell it to > install into the home directory, rather than globally. " > > Then in a box it shows: > > python3 -m pip install pygame --user > > I am not a Windows power user, and on behalf of my students who are mostly > art students, who have never seen a command line, it is not clear what I am > supposed to do here. Since I have seen this type of thing before, I know > that I have to type this into a command line. But for a new user, just > having a command there doesn't tell me anything. I have Python3 installed, > I have IDLE open - where am I supposed to type this??? > > If I look farther down on the page, I see installation notes for Windows. > If I follow a link provided there to catcatcode.com, and read through it, > I find that I must go to the Windows search bar and type "cmd". This > brings up the command line, where I can type my commands. (While this > probably seems trivial and obvious to people who have lots of experience > writing software on Windows - to a novice or even a novice Windows user, > this is not obvious at all.) > > OK, so now I can type my command. Following the installation > instructions, I type: > > python3 - m pip install pygame --user > > and I get back an error message that says: > > 'python3' is not recognized as an internal or external command, > operable program or batch file. > > I'm lost. I have no idea what to do about this error. > > Fortunately, I remember that there was a discussion of installations on > this list, so, I look through fairly recent messages on this list to see > what to do. In one message from Rene Dudfield on May 11, he said: > > Mainly we will try and point people to install with: > pip3 install pygame > > That seems to install correctly and I'm up and running. > > However, even after getting things running, I go back to the command line > and try to run the sample aliens game by typing the instructions given: > > python3 -m pygame.examples.aliens > > I get the same error about 'python3' is not a recognized as an internal, > ... > > So, I give up trying to run that sample program > > > > Questions: > > 1) What does the error message associated with the: "python3 -m pip > install pygame -- user " mean? Obviously it is not recognizing 'python3' > - what do I do to fix that? Is fixing that important if I don't intend to > use the command line for development? > > 2) Why do the instructions on the official pygame site tell users to use > this command, which generates an error, when the "pip install pygame" or > "pip3 install pygame" commands seem to do the job? > > 3) (Suggestion) Perhaps the wording for Windows installations could be > modified to include the extra step that tell users how to bring up the > command line (for people like me and my students who might now have a clue > about this). The documentation for the Mac installation could also be > modified to say that you need to bring up the terminal program to enter > commands. > > 4) Finally, is running Python 3.6.1 in 32 bit mode appropriate with > pygame? Since I have a 64 bit operating system, should I really go through > the steps again and find and install the 64 bit version of python instead? > Why would default download default to a 32 bit version? (I understand that > these questions are out of the control of the pygame area, but I want to > make sure that I have the correct environment, and that I tell my college > how to get the correct environment for all the computers at the school.) > > Sorry for the length of the post, but I expected that getting this > environment set up would be a lot easier. If my students were to face > these problems trying to install it themselves, they would be completely > lost and complain bitterly. > > Irv > > > >
