How to add Python to your system path with uv

By default, Python versions installed by uv are only available within uv commands or activated virtual environments. This guide shows you how to add Python executables directly to your system path for global access.

To install a Python version and make it available in your PATH:

uv python install --default --preview 3.11

Breaking down this command:

• uv python install: The base command to install Python
• --default: Marks this version as the default when creating new environments
• --preview: Enables the experimental PATH integration
• 3.11: The Python version to install

After running the command, verify that Python is available on your PATH:

python --version

You should see the path to the uv-managed Python installation and its version.

Managing Multiple Python Versions

You can install multiple versions to your PATH:

uv python install --preview 3.10 3.11 3.12

Each version will be added as a separate executable (python3.10, python3.11, python3.12).