How to Install Python on a Chromebook (Step by Step)

Here’s how to install Python on a Chromebook: turn on the Linux development environment in Settings, open the Terminal app, and Python 3 is already there. Add pip and venv with one command:

python3 --version
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pip python3-venv

I don’t have a Chromebook on my desk, so the steps follow Google’s current help page, captured in October 2026, and the commands are standard Debian ones. The screenshots are real captures of Google’s and Debian’s pages.

You’ll turn on Linux, check your Python version, set up pip with a virtual environment, add an editor, and see what to do if Linux is blocked on a school or work Chromebook.

Step 1: Turn on Linux on your Chromebook

ChromeOS runs Python inside a Linux container, which is off by default. Google’s help page describes the steps:

1. Select the time in the bottom-right corner, then open Settings.
2. Go to About ChromeOS > Developers.
3. Next to Linux development environment, select Set up and follow the prompts.
4. When it finishes, a Terminal window opens with a Debian Linux shell.

Step 2: Check the Python version

Debian includes Python 3, so check what you have before installing anything. Use python3, since python usually isn’t defined on Debian:

python3 --version
which python3        # /usr/bin/python3

The version depends on which Debian release your Linux container uses. Debian’s package page lists the python3 version for each release:

Need a newer Python than Debian ships? Install uv and run uv python install 3.14; it works the same way it does on Ubuntu, covered in installing Python on Ubuntu.

Step 3: Install pip and set up a virtual environment

Debian marks its system Python as externally managed, so pip install outside a virtual environment stops with an externally-managed-environment error. Create a venv for each project instead:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pip python3-venv

mkdir -p ~/projects/budget && cd ~/projects/budget
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install requests
python -c "import requests; print(requests.__version__)"

Inside the activated venv, python and pip both work. More on this in Python virtual environments and pip install -r requirements.txt.

Step 4: Run your first Python script

Create a file with any text editor, or straight from the Terminal, and run it with python3:

cat > hello.py << 'EOF'
total = 19.99 * 3
print(f"Three items cost ${total:.2f}")
EOF

python3 hello.py

Your Linux files appear in the Files app under Linux files, so you can open them from ChromeOS too. See how to run a Python script for more ways to run code.

Installing VS Code on a Chromebook

Visual Studio Code has a Linux version that runs in the container. Download the .deb package from code.visualstudio.com (pick the ARM64 build on ARM Chromebooks), open it from the Files app, and choose Install with Linux.

Then install Microsoft’s Python extension inside VS Code. If you’re choosing an editor, here’s PyCharm vs VS Code for Python.

What if Linux is blocked on my Chromebook?

School and work Chromebooks are often managed, and administrators can turn off the Linux development environment. If the Developers option is missing or grayed out, you can’t turn it on yourself.

• Ask your school or IT admin whether Linux can be enabled for your account.
• Use a browser-based option such as Google Colab, which runs Python notebooks in the cloud for free.
• Use an online editor that runs Python in the browser for small exercises.

Python on a Chromebook: quick reference

Task	Command
Check the version	python3 --version
Install pip and venv	sudo apt install python3-pip python3-venv
Create a virtual environment	python3 -m venv .venv
Activate it	source .venv/bin/activate
Update Linux packages	sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Setting up Python on other machines too? These guides help:

• Install Python on Mac
• Install Python on Ubuntu
• What is the Python interpreter
• Environment variables in Python

Frequently asked questions