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| "Why is Python Installed on my Computer?" FAQ | |
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| What is Python? | |
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| Python is a programming language. It's used for many different applications. | |
| It's used in some high schools and colleges as an introductory programming | |
| language because Python is easy to learn, but it's also used by professional | |
| software developers at places such as Google, NASA, and Lucasfilm Ltd. | |
| If you wish to learn more about Python, start with the `Beginner's Guide to | |
| Python <https://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide>`_. | |
| Why is Python installed on my machine? | |
| -------------------------------------- | |
| If you find Python installed on your system but don't remember installing it, | |
| there are several possible ways it could have gotten there. | |
| * Perhaps another user on the computer wanted to learn programming and installed | |
| it; you'll have to figure out who's been using the machine and might have | |
| installed it. | |
| * A third-party application installed on the machine might have been written in | |
| Python and included a Python installation. There are many such applications, | |
| from GUI programs to network servers and administrative scripts. | |
| * Some Windows machines also have Python installed. At this writing we're aware | |
| of computers from Hewlett-Packard and Compaq that include Python. Apparently | |
| some of HP/Compaq's administrative tools are written in Python. | |
| * Many Unix-compatible operating systems, such as macOS and some Linux | |
| distributions, have Python installed by default; it's included in the base | |
| installation. | |
| Can I delete Python? | |
| -------------------- | |
| That depends on where Python came from. | |
| If someone installed it deliberately, you can remove it without hurting | |
| anything. On Windows, use the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel. | |
| If Python was installed by a third-party application, you can also remove it, | |
| but that application will no longer work. You should use that application's | |
| uninstaller rather than removing Python directly. | |
| If Python came with your operating system, removing it is not recommended. If | |
| you remove it, whatever tools were written in Python will no longer run, and | |
| some of them might be important to you. Reinstalling the whole system would | |
| then be required to fix things again. | |