Jupyter Notebook is a popular web-based interactive computing environment, widely used among data scientists and programmers. Working with Jupyter Notebook in MacOS helps perform various tasks including data cleaning and transformation, numerical simulation, statistical modelling, data visualization, machine learning and much more.
In addition to this, you can set up Jupyter Notebook on your Mac device using different methods such as pip, setup.py, Homebrew, Anaconda and Miniconda. Let's get started:
System Requirements:
- macOS 10.13 or higher.
- Python 3.6 or later.
- At least 1GB of free disk space.
Using pip
If you already have Python installed on your macOS, using the pip package manager is the easiest way to install Jupyter Notebook. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Install the latest Python3 in MacOS
MacOS comes with Python installed, but it’s usually a good idea to install the latest version via Homebrew (a package manager for macOS) to ensure compatibility with newer packages.
If you don’t have Python installed, open the Terminal and run the following command to install it using Homebrew:
brew install python

Step 2: Install Jupyter Notebook & verify the installation
Open Terminal and run the following command to install Jupyter using pip:
pip install notebook
Check if pip3 and python3 are correctly installed:
python3 --version
pip3 --version

Step 3: Check for any pending updade
Type the following command in the terminal to upgrade your pip (to prevent installation errors)
pip3 install --upgrade pip

Step 4: Install Jupyter Notebook using pip3
Enter the following command in the terminal to get Jupyter Notebook using pip3.
pip3 install jupyter

Use setup.py
This is an alternate method to get Jupyter Notebook on your MacOS using the setup.py file. Here's how you can do it:
Step 1: Download the latest Package from the official website.
To Download the latest source package of Jupyter Notebook for python3 click here and use command:
curl https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/c9/a9/371d0b8fe37dd231cf4b2cff0a9f0f25e98f3a73c3771742444be27f2944/jupyter-1.0.0.tar.gz > jupyter.tar.gz

Step 2: Extract Files to Start with the Installation
Extract the downloaded package using the following command:
tar -xzvf jupyter.tar.gz

Go inside the folder and enter the following command to install the package using the command:
cd jupyter-1.0.0
python3 setup.py install

Note: You must have developer tools for XCode MacOS installed in your system
Step 3: Verifying Jupyter Notebook installation
Enter the following command in your terminal to start up Jupyter Notebook and verify the installation using the following command:
jupyter notebook

Once the verification is complete, launch Jupyter Notebook in your default web browser.

Using Homebrew
Homebrew is a package manager for MacOS (also Linux) which helps in managing different applications and tools in your device. Below are simple steps to get Homebrew for Jupyter Notebook in your MacOS:
Step 1: Install Homebrew
Run the following command in the terminal if you don't have Homebrew.
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Step 2: Begin with the Python Installation
Now use Homebrew to install Jupyter Notebook using the following command:
brew install python

Step 3: Start the Installation and launch Jupyter Notebook
Now, use the following command to install Jupyter Notebook using Homebrew on MacOS:
brew install jupyterlab

Once the verification is complete, use the following command to launch Jupyter Notebook in your default web browser:
jupyter notebook

Using Anaconda
If you're a data science professional/student, then you might consider choosing this method. Here's how you can start this method:
Step 1: Download & Install Anaconda from the Official Website
Visit the official website and get Anaconda distribution for MacOS. Now, follow the simple instructions as instructed to complete the setup.

Step 2: Launch Jupyter Notebook
Type the following command to launch the Jupyter Notebook in your web browser:
jupyter notebook

Install Miniconda - Anaconda Alternative
If your system gets slow often or does not have enough space then you may switch to Miniconda - a lightweight version of Anaconda.
Step 1: Visit the Official Website to Install Miniconda
Go to the official site get Miniconda and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Install & Run the Jupyter Notebook
Open the Terminal and run the following commands:
conda install jupyter

Now, type this command to launch the jupyter Notebook:
jupyter notebook

Jupyter Notebook is essential for data science, machine learning and interactive computing. On macOS, it can be installed using pip, Homebrew, Anaconda or Miniconda:
- pip: lightweight installation with pre-installed Python
- Homebrew: full development support
- Anaconda: complete data science stack
- Miniconda: minimalist Anaconda version