Running Python via Anaconda?

[sparkz_alot]

I presume the regular Python you get from python.org

[gruntfutuk]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is OS Python?

Anaconda is like closed eco-system, i.e. distribution with its own python interpreter, packages, package management system, etc.
and OS Python, I think refer to pure Python distribution installed system-wide - e.g.  on Windows - downloaded from https://www.python.org/downloads/

Thanks. I've used Anaconda for some data science stuff but wasn't sure what this meant as I didn't remember it having its own OS and Python stack.

I thought maybe there was a linux distro called OS Python for a moment, with obvious purpose. I tend to do most development in VMs or, more often these days, in containers, rather than "corrupt" my local environment.

My base computer is a MacBook Pro, which of course comes with [an old version of] Python pre-installed.

[snippsat]

. I tend to do most development in VMs or, more often these days, in containers, rather than "corrupt" my local environment.

For both Linux and Mac is pyenv great.
Let you install and switch between versions easy,and it's safe don't mess with OS python local environment.

Example run:

mint@mint ~ $ pyenv install 3.6.2
Downloading Python-3.6.2.tar.xz...
-> https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.6.2/Python-3.6.2.tar.xz
Installing Python-3.6.2...
Installed Python-3.6.2 to /home/mint/.pyenv/versions/3.6.2
 
# Make python and pip default to 3.6.2
mint@mint ~ $ pyenv global 3.6.2

# Check what's available
mint@mint ~ $ pyenv install --list 

# Install the version you desire
mint@mint ~ $ pyenv install anaconda-x.x.x

# If just want test out Anaconda is a shell session.
pyenv shell anaconda-x.x.x

# Can always go back to system default
mint@mint ~ $ pyenv local system
mint@mint ~ $ python
Python 2.7.12 (default, Nov 19 2016, 06:48:10) 
[GCC 5.4.0 20160609] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 
mint@mint ~ $ python3
Python 3.5.2 (default, Nov 17 2016, 17:05:23) 
[GCC 5.4.0 20160609] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

[gruntfutuk]

I see the benefit, but most projects I've been involved in over the last couple of years, I've found the dev teams prefer either vagrant, or, increasingly, containers and the latter especially so in devops teams.

[Athenaeum]

Do they keep up to date with the latest releases of python?

If you're talking about my class, not that I'm aware of.