Installing IPython 2 After Installing IPython 3 on Mac

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If you've recently installed IPython 3 on your Mac system but find yourself in need to use the older version, namely IPython 2, then this article is just what you're looking for. In this tutorial, we'll walk through a step-by-step guide on how to install and set up IPython 2 alongside IPython 3.

Prerequisites

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Before diving into installing IPython 2, ensure that your system meets the following prerequisites:

1. Mac OS X (10.8 or later) - This tutorial is specifically written for Mac users.

2. Python 2.x installed on your system - It's highly recommended to use a newer version of Python 2.x (e.g., Python 2.7).

3. pip, the package manager included with Python, should be available in your terminal.

Installing IPython 2

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### Method 1: Using Homebrew

Homebrew is an excellent package management tool for Mac OS X that simplifies installing and managing third-party software. If you haven't already installed Homebrew on your system, follow these steps:

brew tap homebrew/science

brew install ipython --version=2.*

Once the installation process completes successfully, verify that IPython 2 has been correctly installed by running `ipython` in your terminal.

### Method 2: Manual Installation

If you prefer not to use Homebrew or encounter any issues during its installation, you can manually download and install IPython 2 from the official Python website:

1. Head over to 'Python.org'(http://python.org) and navigate to the 'Download' section.

2. Select your Mac OS X version (e.g., `macosx-10_9-x86_x86_64.sh` for a 64-bit system running Yosemite).

3. Save the downloaded file (`python-2.x-macosx10*.tar.bz2`) in an easily accessible location, such as `/Users/your_username/Documents`.

4. Open your terminal and navigate to the previously specified directory using `cd`.

Now, extract IPython 2 from its tarball:

python setup.py install

Once the installation process completes successfully, verify that IPPython 2 has been correctly installed by running `ipython` in your terminal.

Troubleshooting

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If you encounter any issues during or after installing IPython 2 alongside IPython 3 on Mac OS X, refer to these common solutions:

* Ensure that both versions of Python (e.g., Python 2.7 and Python 3.x) are properly installed on your system.

* Try completely removing all previously installed instances of IPython using `pip uninstall -y ipython` followed by a clean installation as described above.

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In conclusion, installing IPython 2 alongside IPython 3 on Mac OS X is relatively straightforward and doesn't require any advanced technical knowledge. By following the step-by-step instructions outlined in this tutorial, you should now be able to seamlessly switch between these two versions of IPython whenever needed for your Python programming endeavors.

Happy coding!

Install ipython 2 after ipython 3 mac