Finding your Anaconda Python interpreter path

IDEs often require you to specify the path to your Python interpreter. This path varies according to which operating system version and which Anaconda or Miniconda version you use, so you will need to search your file system to find the correct path to your Python interpreter.

You can search for the Python interpreter with your operating system’s file manager, such as File Explorer on Windows, Finder on macOS, or Nautilus on Ubuntu Linux.

You can also use the command line to show the location of the Python interpreter in the active conda environment:

Windows

1. From the Start Menu, open the Anaconda Prompt.

2. Activate a conda environment that contains an installation of Python by running the following command:

   conda activate <ENV_NAME>
   
   Replace <ENV_NAME> with the name of the environment.

3. Locate the Python interpreter by running the following command:

   where python
   
   "python not found" error

   If your terminal shows python not found, your environment might not have Python installed. To resolve this issue:

   1. Check if Python exists in your environment:

      conda list python
      

   2. If you don’t see Python listed, install it:

      # (Optional) Specify the version. For example, python>=3.12
      conda install python
      

   3. Verify the installation by locating your Python interpreter:

      where python
      

Here is an example command return for user jsmith running Anaconda3 on Windows 10:

C:\Users\jsmith\Anaconda3\python.exe

# Python image in a conda environment called myenv
C:\Users\jsmith\Anaconda3\envs\myenv\python.exe

macOS and Linux

1. Open a terminal window.

2. Activate a conda environment that contains an installation of Python by running the following command:

   conda activate <ENV_NAME>
   
   Replace <ENV_NAME> with the name of the environment.

3. Locate the Python interpreter by running the following command:

   which python
   
   "python not found" error

   If your terminal shows python not found, your environment might not have Python installed. To resolve this issue:

   1. Check if Python exists in your environment:

      conda list python
      

   2. If you don’t see Python listed, install it:

      # (Optional) Specify the version. For example, python>=3.12
      conda install python
      

   3. Verify the installation by locating your Python interpreter:

      which python
      

Here is an example command return for user jsmith running Anaconda on macOS:

~/anaconda/bin/python

or

/Users/jsmith/anaconda/bin/python

Here is an example command return for user jsmith running Anaconda on Linux:

~/anaconda/bin/python

or

/home/jsmith/anaconda/bin/python

Depending on whether you’ve installed Anaconda or Miniconda, the folder in your home directory might be named one of the following:

• anaconda
• anaconda2
• anaconda3
• miniconda
• miniconda2
• miniconda3