Member Avatar for laseredd

I recently installed Linux (Slackware Linux 12) on my laptop. On Windows I used IDLE for my python development, but on Linux, IDLE looks HORRIBLE. I tried tweaking the settings but it still looks bad, and is hard to program in. Can anyone recommend a good IDE for Python that will run on Linux and preferably better than IDLE .

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by freddypyther

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This thread nailed the core problem: IDLE’s Tkinter look can feel awkward on a fresh Linux desktop (as described). Early replies pointed to several good alternatives — suggested SPE, mentioned UliPad, recommended DrPython and PyScripter, and recommended Eclipse+PyDev — and those remain useful options for certain workflows. For anyone landing here years later and wanting a clean, well-supported environment with modern code completion and debugging, a small reality-check: pick by workflow (lightweight editor vs full IDE) rather than nostalgia.

If the priority is fast setup, excellent completions and debugging across Linux/Windows/macOS, try Visual Studio Code with the official Python support: install VS Code, add the Python extension, then pick your interpreter/virtualenv and use the editor’s IntelliSense (Ctrl+Space) and debugger. That gives very NetBeans/Eclipse-like completions without the heaviness of a full Java-based IDE. (code.visualstudio.com)

If a dedicated, full-featured Python IDE is wanted (project-aware refactorings, integrated test runners, notebooks), PyCharm is the mainstream choice — it bundles deep Python analysis and an integrated debugger and remains the go-to “heavy” IDE for many developers. Try the free tier first and upgrade only if you need extra features. (blog.jetbrains.com)

The classic recommendations still apply in narrower cases: PyScripter is a strong native Windows IDE if staying on Windows, DrPython is a simple wxPython-based cross-platform editor for teaching/small projects, and PyDev adds full Python support to Eclipse if you already use Eclipse for other languages — but expect more configuration and (for Eclipse) a heavier install. Test any older tool for Python‑3 compatibility before committing. (github.com)

Practical path: try VS Code first (quick install + extension), then PyCharm if you need deeper project tooling. If you prefer minimal GUIs, test DrPython or UliPad — but keep an eye on dependencies (wxPython, older Python versions) when using software that originated in the Python‑2 era.

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All 11 Replies

Member Avatar for frank04

I recommend SPE (Stani's Python Editor - http://pythonide.blogspot.com/ ). I have only switched about a week ago (from Komodo), but it has everything I need (at least for now).

Member Avatar for laseredd

Thanks for telling me about that IDE. I got rid of Linux (I messed with the kernel too much, and I think I did something wrong, which rendered my Linux partition unusable) and switched back to Windows. I installed SPE on Windows and it works great. It's much better than IDLE and I like the code completion. :)

Member Avatar for newharvar

there is a good tool for python programming called ulipad,you can google it,it's powerfull and usefull

Member Avatar for vegaseat

I use both DrPython (Windows and Linux) and PyScripter (Windows). DrPython needs wxPython and is very stable, relies on plugins for advanced features. PyScripter comes as an .exe file (written in Python for Delphi) and has some excellent features out of the box. The one I like is that it runs code from a buffer, so you can test it before you create a file copy. Both are free and easy to download, just google for the names.

Member Avatar for laseredd

Cool, I've downloaded Ulipad, and now I'm currently downloading Dr. Python. Having all these IDEs remind me of how my operating system collection started...

Member Avatar for l3.azarmehr

The spe is good IDE and i love it.
but recently i see eclipse by plugin pydev. it 's wonderful...!
you can see this IDE from this site, and the plugin from it.

Member Avatar for davidjhay

I have never used Eclipse before and it looks good.Has anyone else had any experience using it with Python? I currently use PyScripter and have enjoyed using it, not sure if I want to change.

Member Avatar for N317V

German forum but with lots of links to editors and IDEs for python.

Member Avatar for vegaseat

I have never used Eclipse before and it looks good.Has anyone else had any experience using it with Python? I currently use PyScripter and have enjoyed using it, not sure if I want to change.

Eclipse is great, if you do Java programs. For Python I find it a bit overwhelming in size (170MB!), complexity, and rather sluggish in execution.

Member Avatar for DavidChandler

I recommend SPE (Stani's Python Editor - http://pythonide.blogspot.com/ ). I have only switched about a week ago (from Komodo), but it has everything I need (at least for now).

I am trying to get started with SPE. I am running into lots of questions on how to do various things and the help comes up in Dutch, or some other similar language. How do I learn to do the basics with SPE?

Member Avatar for freddypyther

Hi!
Since I started learning python (about 6 month) I've been searching for an IDE like netbeans or Eclipse for java. Well, in fact , I'm just looking for an ide that has the famous control+space function. I'm just really interested in that feature. I mean, if I type this in a file:

from Tkinter import *
root = Tk()
root.

I'll be extremely happy if a list of methods of the object root appeared with their parameters and a little explanation of what the function does (like do NetBeans or Eclipse). I've just seen this feature on the non-free WingIDE IDE. I've tried Dr Python, PyScripter (had a very poor version of code-completion if had, and was just for windows), Boa Constructor...among others.

In conclusion, I haven't found this extremely useful feature (Anyone know all the methods of all the objects with their parameters and what they do! , and it's kind a drag always looking on the net pydoc) in any IDE I've tried.

So if someone could recommend me some software(vim with that code-completion will be better than all the IDE's I've tried until now) that has the complete pydoc and as you are typing and working with objects goes telling you the methods, the constants,what that function does...etc I'll be so grateful.

Thanks!

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