brew-installed Python not overriding system python
TL;DR Add the following to your .bash_profile
(or equivalent):
export PATH="/usr/local/opt/python/libexec/bin:$PATH"
Explanation
It seems python via homebrew is now handled differently (see https://docs.brew.sh/Homebrew-and-Python).
python3
points to Homebrew’s Python 3.x (if installed)python2
points to Homebrew’s Python 2.7.x (if installed)python
points to Homebrew’s Python 2.7.x (if installed) otherwise the macOS system Python. Check outbrew info python
if you wish to add Homebrew’s 3.x python to your PATH.
Checking out brew info python
hints at what you need to do:
Unversioned symlinks
python
,python-config
,pip
etc. pointing topython3
,python3-config
,pip3
etc., respectively, have been installed into /usr/local/opt/python/libexec/bin
The hint being that you therefore have to add /usr/local/opt/python/libexec/bin
before /usr/bin
in your path (not /usr/local/bin
as stated in some sources e.g. https://docs.python-guide.org/starting/install3/osx/)
See also https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/issues/15746
One-liner to get homebrew python working:
zsh
echo -n 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/python/libexec/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc
bash
echo -n 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/python/libexec/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc
Explanation:>> filename
appends at the end of the filesource filename
reloads the file