Installing Tk

Tkinter (and, since Python 3.1, ttk) are included with all standard Python distributions on Mac OS X. However, more recent distributions do not always include the underlying Tcl and Tk libraries and support files, which must be installed separately.

While there are several different ways to do get Tcl and Tk onto your machine, the easiest and most recommended is to use the ActiveTcl distribution.

If you're a masochist and want to read about other Tcl/Tk options and variations and how they interact with Python, see the Mac Tcl/Tk page at python.org.

Install ActiveTcl

In your web browser, go to www.activestate.com, and follow along the links to download the Community Edition of ActiveTcl, available as a universal binary. Make sure you're downloading an 8.5.x version, not an older 8.4.x version.

Run the installer to get Tcl and Tk loaded onto your machine.

Install Python

Earlier versions of this tutorial recommended using ActiveState's ActivePython. Older versions of ActivePython used to include Tcl/Tk libraries and support files, but more recent versions no longer do, and require downloading them separately, e.g. via ActiveTcl. Therefore the standard Python distribution works just as well, and the end result is the same.

Run the installer and follow along. You'll end up with a fresh install of ActivePython in /Library/Frameworks, along with links to the versioned Python binaries placed in /usr/local/bin (e.g. 'python3.4' if you downloaded ActivePython 3.4.x). From a Terminal window you should then be able to run a Python shell:

% /usr/local/bin/python3.4

This should give you the Python command prompt. From the prompt, enter these two commands:

>>> import tkinter
>>> tkinter._test()

This should pop up a small window; the first line at the top of the window should say "This is Tcl/Tk version 8.5"; make sure it is not 8.4!

You can also get the exact version of Tcl/Tk that is being used with:

>>> tkinter.Tcl().eval('info patchlevel')

which should return something like '8.5.18'.

Verified install using ActiveTcl 8.5.18.0 and Python 3.4.3 from python.org on Mac OS X 10.10.3.

Compiling Python

If you're compiling Python yourself rather than using the binary distribution, you need to tell Python where to find the ActiveTcl distribution. Unlike the binary installer, which has special code to look for the best Tcl/Tk on your system, if you're compiling from scratch, it will most likely find the (likely broken) version of Tcl/Tk that Apple supplies with Mac OS X.

When doing the initial "./configure," in the Python build process, you will need to add two new options, specifying the paths (one for Tcl, one for Tk; note the location of the single quotes in the example below) to the include files, and also the locations of the Tcl and Tk libraries. For example:

./configure --with-tcltk-includes=‘-I/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Headers 
             -I/Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Headers' 
       --with-tcltk-libs=‘/Library/Frameworks/Tcl.framework/Versions/8.6/Tcl 
             /Library/Frameworks/Tk.framework/Versions/8.6/Tk’

Tkinter (and, since Python 3.1, ttk) are included with all standard Python distributions. It is important that you use a version of Python supporting Tk 8.5 or greater, and ttk. We recommend using the standard Python 3.x Windows installer which can be downloaded from python.org.

Earlier versions of this tutorial recommended using the ActivePython distribution from ActiveState; that will work as well. Both contain Python as well as the underlying Tcl/Tk libraries.

Run the installer, and follow along. You'll end up with a fresh install of ActivePython, located in, e.g. C:\python34. From a Windows command prompt, or the Start Menu's "Run..." command, you should then be able to run a Python shell via:

% C:\python34\python

This should give you the Python command prompt. From the prompt, enter these two commands:

>>> import tkinter
>>> tkinter._test()

This should pop up a small window; the first line at the top of the window should say "This is Tcl/Tk version 8.5" (or "8.6"); make sure it is not 8.4!

You can also get the exact version of Tcl/Tk that is being used with:

>>> tkinter.Tcl().eval('info patchlevel')

which should return something like '8.5.18'.

Verified install using Python 3.4.3 from python.org (containing Tcl/Tk 8.6.1) on Windows 8.1.

Tkinter (and, since Python 3.1, ttk) are included with all standard Python distributions. It is important that you use a version of Python supporting Tk 8.5 or greater, and ttk. Many Python distributions will not automatically install the underlying Tcl and Tk libraries however.

You have several different options to get Python and Tkinter onto your machine.

Option 1. Your Linux Distribution's Package Manager

Currently supported Linux distributions will usually already include a recent version of Python 3.x (or have a .deb, .rpm, etc. package available to install). If so, this is usually the easiest way to go.

However, after you're done, start up a Python shell (e.g. /usr/bin/python3.4) and verify the install (see below). You may find that when you try to 'import tkinter' that you get an error that you need to install another package. If so, follow the instructions, and try again.

For example, running Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Python 3.4.0 is already included. However, you also need to install a separate package, python3-tk, to use Tkinter, e.g.

% sudo apt-get install python3-tk

In this case, that package provides Tcl/Tk 8.6.1 libraries to be used with Python.

Option 2. Install ActivePython

The "ActivePython" distribution from ActiveState includes both Python and the necessary Tcl/Tk libraries.

In your web browser, go to www.activestate.com, and follow along the links to download the Community Edition of ActivePython for Linux. Make sure you're downloading a 3.1 or newer version.

Unpack it, run the installer (sudo ./install.sh), and follow along. You'll end up with a fresh install of ActivePython, located in e.g. /opt/ActivePython-3.4. From a Terminal window you should then be able to run a Python shell via:

% /opt/ActivePython-3.4/bin/python3.4

See below to verify your install.

Option 3. Install Tcl/Tk and Compile the Standard Python Distribution

If you'd like to use the standard source distribution from python.org, you can certainly do that.

But to do so, you'll need to get the Tcl and Tk include files and libraries loaded on your machine first. While there are again several ways to do that, the easiest is to download and install ActiveTcl.

In your web browser, go to www.activestate.com, and follow along the links to download the Community Edition of ActiveTcl for Linux. Make sure you're downloading a 8.5 or newer version.

Unpack it, run the installer (./install.sh), and follow along. You'll end up with a fresh install of ActiveTcl, located in e.g. /opt/ActiveTcl-8.5.

Next, download the current Python 3.x source distribution from python.org, and unpack it. On your configure line, you'll need to tell it how to find the version of Tcl/Tk you installed. Then build as usual:

% ./configure --with-tcltk-includes='-I/opt/ActiveTcl-8.5/include' 
       --with-tcltk-libs='/opt/ActiveTcl-8.5/lib/libtcl8.5.so /opt/ActiveTcl-8.5/lib/libtk8.5.so'
% ./make
% ./make install

Make sure to verify your install (see below).

Didn't work? There may have been an error compiling Python's tkinter code. To check, from the main Python source directory, try "touch Modules/_tkinter.c" (note the underscore) and then "make" to recompile it. Watch closely for error messages.
 
The most common thing is that the way you specified the Tcl/Tk include and libraries needs to be changed somehow. Or if you get messages that certain include files can't be found (e.g. "X11/Xlib.h") you may need to install additional packages on your Linux distribution (e.g. "apt-get install libx11-dev"). Once you get it to compile without errors, don't forget to "make install".

Verifying your Install

At the Python command prompt, enter these two commands:

>>> import tkinter
>>> tkinter._test()

This should pop up a small window; the first line at the top of the window should say "This is Tcl/Tk version 8.5"; make sure it is not 8.4!

If it gives you an error when you try to 'import tkinter' (e.g. "If this fails your Python may not be configured for Tk"), something hasn't been set up right. If you compiled Python yourself, see above to check for compile errors.

You can also get the exact version of Tcl/Tk that is being used with:

>>> tkinter.Tcl().eval('info patchlevel')

which should return something like '8.5.18'.

Verified install using ActiveTcl 8.5.18, Python 3.4.3 from python.org on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS

from tkinter import *
from tkinter import ttk
root = Tk()
ttk.Button(root, text="Hello World").grid()
root.mainloop()

Save this to a file named 'hello.py'. From a command prompt, type:

% python hello.py

Couldn't find hello.py? You might be looking in the wrong directory. Try providing the full path to hello.py.