# Prepare your local environment for Tailer

Tailer SDK runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Tailer SDK requires Python. Supported versions are 3.8 or higher.

Before installing Tailer SDK, a number of tasks need to be performed depending if you're planning to use a Windows or macOS/Linux environment.

## :computer: Windows

### **Install Python**

To install Python:

1. Access this page: <https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-382/>
2. Select and download the installer for the release (3.8 or higher) that matches your operating system.
3. Launch the installer.
4. Select the **Customize installation** option, and make sure you check the **Add Python to environment variables** checkbox.
5. To check if Python installation was successful, open a terminal, and run the following command:

   ```bash
   python3 --version
   ```

{% hint style="success" %}
The Python release number displays.
{% endhint %}

### **Create a working folder**

To create a working folder for Tailer SDK:

1. Access the working folder of your choice:

   ```bash
   cd your_working_folder
   ```
2. Create a folder for Tailer SDK and access it:

   ```bash
   mkdir tailer
   cd tailer
   ```

{% hint style="success" %}
Your Windows environment is now ready. You can proceed with the [installation](https://docs.tailer.ai/getting-started/install-tailer-sdk).
{% endhint %}

## :green\_apple: macOS/Linux

### **Set Bash as default shell**

To change the default shell to Bash:

1. Run the following command:

   ```bash
   chsh -s /bin/bash
   ```
2. Close your terminal and reopen it.
3. Run the following command to make sure the default shell is now bash:

   ```bash
   env
   ```

{% hint style="success" %}
If you get the following result, Bash has been installed successfully:

```
SHELL=/bin/bash
```

{% endhint %}

### **Create a working folder**

{% hint style="info" %}
We recommend that you create the Tailer SDK working folder in your home root directory.
{% endhint %}

To create and access the working folder, run the following commands:

```bash
mkdir ~/tailer
cd ~/tailer
```

Examples in this documentation will assume that you're working in the **tailer** folder created at this step.

### **Upgrade Python**

While current versions of macOS and Linux include a version of Python 2, Tailer SDK only supports Python 3.8 or higher, so you need to upgrade to a newer version.

#### **Install Homebrew**

To install Python, you first need to install Homebrew, a package management system that simplifies software installation:

1. Run the following command:

   ```bash
   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   ```
2. Make sure the installation was successful by running the following command:

   ```bash
   brew doctor
   ```

{% hint style="success" %}
Now that Homebrew is installed, you can upgrade to Python 3.
{% endhint %}

#### **Upgrade to Python 3**

To upgrade Python:

1. Check your current version of Python by running the following command:

   ```bash
   python --version
   ```
2. If your version is inferior to 3.8, install the latest version of Python 3 by running the following command:

   ```bash
   brew install python3
   ```
3. To confirm which version of Python 3 was installed, run the following command:

   ```bash
   python3 --version
   ```

### **Always use a Virtual Environment**

Virtual environments let you have a stable, reproducible, and portable environment. You are in control of which packages versions are installed and when they are upgraded. You can have as many venvs as you want.

1. You can install venv to your host Python by running this command in your terminal:

   ```bash
   pip3 install virtualenv
   ```
2. To use venv in your project, in your terminal, create a new project folder, cd to the **Tailer** folder in your terminal, and run the following command:

   ```bash
   python3 -m venv tailerenv
   ```
3. Now that you have created the virtual environment, you will need to activate it before you can use it in your project. On a mac, to activate your virtual environment, run the code below:

   ```bash
   source /Users/username/tailerenv/bin/activate
   ```

Don't forget to change ***username*** by the name of your user. Keep this line on a notepad. You need it each time you open a new terminal to use the Tailer SDK set on the venv.

{% hint style="success" %}
Your macOS/Linux environment is now ready. You can proceed with the [installation](https://docs.tailer.ai/getting-started/install-tailer-sdk).
{% endhint %}

* To confirm which version of Python 3 was installed, run the following command:

  ```bash
  python3 --version
  ```