Installation

Python packages

Pylint should be easily installable using pip.

python -m pip install pip

Source distribution installation

From the source distribution, extract the tarball, go to the extracted directory and simply run

python setup.py install

Or you can install it in editable mode, using

python setup.py develop

Note for Windows users

On Windows, once you have installed Pylint, the command line usage is

pylint.bat [options] module_or_package

But this will only work if pylint.bat is either in the current directory, or on your system path. (setup.py will install python.bat to the Scripts subdirectory of your Python installation – e.g. C:Python24Scripts.) You can do any of the following to solve this:

  1. Change to the appropriate directory before running pylint.bat
  2. Add the Scripts directory to your path statement in your autoexec.bat file (this file is found in the root directory of your boot-drive)
  3. Create a ‘redirect’ batch file in a directory actually on your systems path

To effect (2), simply append the appropriate directory name to the PATH= statement in autoexec.bat. Be sure to use the Windows directory separator of ‘;’ between entries. Then, once you have rebooted (this is necessary so that the new path statement will take effect when autoexec.bat is run), you will be able to invoke Pylint with pylint.bat on the command line.

(3) is the best solution. Once done, you can call Pylint at the command line without the .bat, just as do non-Windows users by typing:

pylint [options] module_or_package

To effect option (3), simply create a plain text file pylint.bat with the single line:

C:\PythonDirectory\Scripts\pylint.bat

(where PythonDirectory is replaced by the actual Python installation directory on your system – e.g. C:Python24Scriptspylint.bat).

Alternatively, you can run pylint using the -m flag, as in:

python -m pylint module_or_package