Step 1: Install Python

1.1. Download Python
Go to the official Python website: https://www.python.org.

On the homepage, click on the Download button. It should automatically detect your operating system.

1.2. Install Python
After downloading, open the installer.

Important: Check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" before you click Install.

Click Install Now to proceed.

Follow the installation prompts.

Verify Installation
Once installed, open a terminal or command prompt:

Windows: Search for "cmd" and open the Command Prompt.

Mac/Linux: Open the Terminal from your applications or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

Type the following command to verify the installation:

python --version

You should see something like:

Python 3.x.x

This confirms that Python is installed correctly.

Step 2: Write Your First Python Program

2.1. Using Python's Interactive Shell

Open a terminal or command prompt and type python (or python3 on some systems).

You will enter the Python interactive shell. Here, you can start writing Python code directly.

Example: 

print("Hello, World!")
When you press Enter, it should display: 
Hello, World!
2.2. Writing a Python Script

Open a text editor (like Notepad, Sublime Text, VS Code, or any IDE).

Write your Python code:

print("Hello, World!")

Save the file with a .py extension. For example, save it as hello.py.

Run the script:

- Open your terminal or command prompt.

- Navigate to the directory where the file is saved using the cd command.

For example:

cd path/to/your/file
Run the script: 
python hello.py

You should see:

Hello, World!

Step 3: Set Up a Python IDE (Optional)

To make coding easier, you can use an Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
Here are some popular choices:

1. PyCharm:

Free version: PyCharm Community Edition

Once installed, you can create a new Python project and start coding in an easy-to-use environment.

2. VS Code:

Download from: https://code.visualstudio.com/

Install the Python extension for added features like auto-completion and debugging.

3.Jupyter Notebook:

Great for data science and quick prototyping.

Install via pip:

pip install notebook

Run it:

jupyter notebook

Step 4: Install Python Libraries

To extend Python’s functionality, you can install libraries using pip, Python's package manager. For example, to install the popular requests library for making HTTP requests, run: 

pip install requests

Step 5: Learn Python Basics

Once you’re all set up, here’s how you can start learning:

Official Python Docs: https://docs.python.org/3/

Online Courses: Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Codecademy offer Python courses.

Interactive Learning: Try websites like https://repl.it for in-browser coding practice.