Set up Python 3.13 and uv on macOS

Goals of this page #

• Install Python 3.13 and uv on macOS Ventura / Sonoma
• Learn how to create a virtual environment and manage libraries
• Understand the key points when integrating with editors such as VS Code

Prerequisites #

1. Install Python 3.13 #

brew update
brew install python@3.13
brew link python@3.13
python3.13 --version

You should see Python 3.13.x. If another version is linked, switch with brew unlink python@3.x.

2. Install uv #

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Verify the command:

uv --version

If uv is not found, add ~/.local/bin to PATH.

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

3. Create the project folder and virtual environment #

mkdir -p ~/Projects/my-app
cd ~/Projects/my-app
uv venv --python 3.13 .venv
source .venv/bin/activate

When the prompt shows (.venv), the environment is active. Use deactivate to exit.

💡 You can also run commands without activating: uv run python script.py uses the environment automatically.

4. Install / sync libraries #

uv pip install numpy pandas
uv pip list
uv pip sync requirements.txt

• uv pip install: add libraries
• uv pip list: inspect what is installed
• uv pip sync: rebuild from requirements.txt

5. Integrate with VS Code #

1. Launch VS Code, open the Command Palette (⇧⌘P) and choose Python: Select Interpreter
2. Pick .venv/bin/python so the editor uses your environment
3. Recommended extensions: Python, Pylance, Black Formatter, Flake8 / Ruff

6. Common issues #

7. Clean-up #

• Leave the environment: deactivate
• Delete the environment: rm -rf .venv
• Save package list: uv pip freeze > requirements.txt

macOS now has Python 3.13 + uv ready. Compare with the other OS guides for reference:

• Set up uv on Windows
• Set up uv on Ubuntu

When you’re ready, move on to the next lesson to start learning Python.