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3.5. Installing Development Tools

Table of Contents

Why Development Tools Matter

Before you write any backend code, you need a set of tools installed on your machine. These tools help you:

In this chapter you will learn what to install and how to install it, with examples on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Later chapters will explain how to use each tool in depth, so here you focus on getting a solid, working setup.

Core Categories of Development Tools

For backend development, you usually need at least:

CategoryExamplesPurpose
Programming languagePythonExecute your backend logic
Package managerpipInstall third party libraries
Version controlGitTrack changes, collaborate
Editor / IDEVS Code, PyCharmWrite and navigate code
Terminal / ShellPowerShell, Command Prompt, Bash, zshRun commands and tools
Database toolspsql (PostgreSQL), pgAdmin, DBeaverWork with databases
Container toolsDocker Desktop, Docker EngineRun apps in containers (later stages)

You do not need all advanced tools on day one, but having the basics ready prevents frustration later.

General Installation Principles

Use Official Sources

Always download tools from their official websites or your operating system’s package manager.

Important rule
Only install development tools from trusted, official sources, such as:

  • The official project website
  • Your OS package manager (apt, dnf, pacman, Homebrew, etc)
  • Trusted app stores (Microsoft Store, Apple App Store)
    This reduces the risk of malware and inconsistent builds.

Examples of official sources:

On Linux, using your distribution’s package manager is usually the best approach.

Prefer Command Line Installation When Possible

If you feel comfortable with the terminal, use it to install tools. It is:

Example on Ubuntu:

bash 
sudo apt update
sudo apt install git python3 python3-pip

Example on macOS with Homebrew:

bash 
brew install git python

If you are a complete beginner, it is fine to start with graphical installers and gradually move to command line.

Installing Tools on Windows

1. Installing a Terminal Environment

You will use the terminal a lot as a backend developer.

Windows Terminal

  1. Open Microsoft Store.
  2. Search for Windows Terminal.
  3. Click Get or Install.

Windows Terminal lets you open multiple shells, such as:

Optional: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

WSL gives you a Linux environment inside Windows, which is very close to typical server environments.

To install WSL (Windows 10/11):

  1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
  2. Run:
powershell 
wsl --install
  1. Restart your computer if asked.
  2. Choose a Linux distribution, for example Ubuntu, and set a username and password.

Later, you will be able to open Ubuntu inside Windows Terminal and use Linux commands.

2. Installing Python on Windows

  1. Go to https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/
  2. Download the latest stable Python 3.x installer (64-bit).
  3. Run the installer.
  4. On the first screen, check:
    • Add Python 3.x to PATH (very important)
  5. Click Install Now and follow the prompts.

Verify Python installation

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:

powershell 
python --version

You should see something like:

text 
Python 3.12.1

If python does not work, try:

powershell 
py --version

If that works, you can run Python scripts using py instead of python.

pip on Windows

pip is usually installed together with Python. Check with:

powershell 
pip --version

If this does not work, try:

powershell 
py -m pip --version

Later, you will use pip to install backend libraries such as FastAPI and SQLAlchemy.

3. Installing Git on Windows

  1. Go to https://git-scm.com/download/win
  2. Download the installer.
  3. Run it and keep the defaults unless you know what you are doing.
    • When asked about the default editor, you can choose Use Visual Studio Code as Git’s default editor if you will use VS Code.
    • When asked about PATH, select Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software.

Verify Git installation

Open PowerShell and run:

powershell 
git --version

Expected output:

text 
git version 2.45.0.windows.1

4. Installing a Code Editor on Windows

Visual Studio Code (recommended)

  1. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com/
  2. Download User Installer for Windows.
  3. Run the installer.
  4. Optionally check:
    • Add "Open with Code" action to Windows Explorer file context menu
    • Add "Open with Code" action to Windows Explorer directory context menu
  5. Finish installation.

Install useful VS Code extensions

Open VS Code, go to the Extensions panel, and search for:

These will help autocompletion, linting, and Git integration.

5. Optional: Installing Database Tools on Windows

PostgreSQL

For backend work you often use PostgreSQL.

  1. Go to https://www.postgresql.org/download/windows/
  2. Click Download the installer.
  3. Choose the latest version and run the installer.
  4. Note the password you set for the postgres user.
  5. Optionally install pgAdmin (checked by default), which is a graphical tool for working with PostgreSQL.

Verify with:

powershell 
psql --version

If psql is not found, you may need to:

Installing Tools on macOS

1. Installing a Terminal Environment

macOS includes the Terminal app by default.

Many backend developers on macOS install iTerm2 for a better experience, but the built-in Terminal is fine.

2. Installing Homebrew (recommended)

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS and makes installing tools simple.

Open Terminal and run:

bash 
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Follow the instructions. At the end, it will show commands to add Homebrew to your PATH. Run those commands.

Verify with:

bash 
brew --version

3. Installing Python on macOS

macOS might come with a system Python. You should install your own Python 3 version.

With Homebrew:

bash 
brew install python

Verify:

bash 
python3 --version

You should see something like:

text 
Python 3.12.1

You will usually use python3 instead of python on macOS.

pip is installed together with Python, use:

bash 
pip3 --version

4. Installing Git on macOS

Git may already be available through Xcode Command Line Tools. Check:

bash 
git --version

If it asks to install command line tools, accept. Or install Git via Homebrew:

bash 
brew install git

Verify again:

bash 
git --version

5. Installing a Code Editor on macOS

Visual Studio Code

  1. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com/
  2. Download the macOS version.
  3. Open the downloaded .zip and drag Visual Studio Code.app to the Applications folder.

Add the code command (optional but useful):

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Open the Command Palette (View → Command Palette, or Cmd + Shift + P).
  3. Search for Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH and run it.

You can now open a folder from the terminal:

bash 
code my-project

Install the same extensions as described in the Windows section (Python, GitLens, Docker, etc).

6. Optional: Installing PostgreSQL on macOS

With Homebrew:

bash 
brew install postgresql

Start the service:

bash 
brew services start postgresql

Verify:

bash 
psql --version

You can also use graphical tools like pgAdmin or DBeaver if you prefer a GUI.

Installing Tools on Linux

Linux distributions differ slightly, but the basic approach is the same. Here are examples for Ubuntu or Debian based systems.

1. Updating Package Lists

Always update your package list first:

bash 
sudo apt update

On other distributions, you might use dnf, yum, or pacman instead.

2. Installing Python on Linux

Most distributions have Python 3 installed. Check with:

bash 
python3 --version

If missing or outdated, install:

bash 
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

Verify:

bash 
python3 --version
pip3 --version

Later, you might use tools like pyenv to manage multiple Python versions, but for now the system Python is usually enough.

3. Installing Git on Linux

On Debian / Ubuntu:

bash 
sudo apt install git

Verify:

bash 
git --version

On Fedora:

bash 
sudo dnf install git

On Arch:

bash 
sudo pacman -S git

4. Installing a Code Editor on Linux

Visual Studio Code

Using Microsoft’s repository on Ubuntu:

bash 
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wget gpg
wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg
echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/microsoft.gpg] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/code stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update
sudo apt install code

After that, you can run code from the terminal.

Or download the .deb or .rpm package directly from the VS Code website and install it with your package manager.

Install the same extensions as before (Python, GitLens, Docker, etc).

5. Optional: Installing PostgreSQL on Linux

On Ubuntu / Debian:

bash 
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib

Check status:

bash 
sudo systemctl status postgresql

Verify version:

bash 
psql --version

On other distributions, use their package manager with the appropriate package names.

Checking and Managing PATH

Many installation problems come from tools not being in your PATH. The PATH is an environment variable that tells your system where to look for executable programs.

You can see your PATH:

powershell 
  echo $Env:PATH
bash 
  echo $PATH

If a command like python or git is installed but not found, your PATH may not include the directory where it was installed.

Important rule
If a tool is installed but the command is "not found", check:

  1. Is it actually installed?
  2. Where is the executable located?
  3. Is that directory included in your PATH?
    You must not blindly download the same tool multiple times before checking PATH. That often creates more confusion.

Examples:

Verifying Your Setup With a Simple Project

After installing tools, create a tiny test to confirm everything works.

1. Create a project folder

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell 
mkdir backend-test
cd backend-test

macOS / Linux:

bash 
mkdir backend-test
cd backend-test

2. Initialize Git

bash 
git init

You should see:

text 
Initialized empty Git repository in ...

3. Create a simple Python file

Create a file hello.py with this content:

python 
def main():
    print("Hello, backend world!")
if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

4. Run the Python file

powershell 
  python hello.py

or if you use py:

powershell 
  py hello.py
bash 
  python3 hello.py

You should see:

text 
Hello, backend world!

5. Commit the file with Git

bash 
git add hello.py
git commit -m "Add hello backend script"

If this works without errors, then:

You now have a basic but functional development environment.

Common Installation Problems and How to Approach Them

Here are some typical issues beginners hit and how to think about solving them.

ProblemLikely CauseFirst Steps
python not recognizedNot installed or not in PATHCheck installation, try py or python3
pip not foundDifferent name or PATH issueTry py -m pip, python3 -m pip
Git not recognizedGit not installed or PATH issueRun git --version, reinstall from official source
VS Code code command not foundPATH setup missingUse built-in "Install 'code' command in PATH" feature
Permission denied errors on Linux/macOSMissing sudo or incorrect permissionsRead the error carefully, add sudo only when needed
PostgreSQL commands not foundPostgreSQL’s bin directory not in PATHFind install path, add to PATH, or use full path

Whenever you encounter issues, do the following:

  1. Read the entire error message, do not just glance at the first line.
  2. Copy the error message into a search engine, including your OS and tool name.
  3. Prefer answers from official documentation or high quality sources.

What You Should Have Ready After This Chapter

By the end of this chapter you should have:

You do not need everything perfectly tuned. The goal is to be able to:

In later chapters, you will refine this environment with virtual environments, better configurations, and additional tools.

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