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Thonny IDE Installation Guide

Thonny is a beginner-friendly Python IDE that has excellent support for programming Raspberry Pi Pico devices. This guide covers installation on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

What is Thonny?

Thonny is a Python IDE designed for beginners, featuring: - Simple and clean interface - Built-in Python interpreter - Excellent support for MicroPython and Raspberry Pi Pico - Easy file management between your computer and Pico - Real-time code execution and debugging

System Requirements

  • macOS: macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
  • Windows: Windows 7 or later
  • Linux: Most modern distributions (Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, Fedora 30+, etc.)
  • RAM: Minimum 2 GB (4 GB recommended)
  • Disk Space: ~200 MB for Thonny installation

Installation on macOS

  1. Download Thonny
  2. Visit https://thonny.org
  3. Click on the macOS download link

  4. Download the .pkg installer file

  5. Install Thonny

  6. Open the downloaded .pkg file
  7. Follow the installation wizard
  8. Enter your password when prompted

  9. Click "Install" to complete the installation

  10. Launch Thonny

  11. Open Thonny from Applications folder

  12. Or use Spotlight (Cmd + Space) and type "Thonny"

  13. Verify Installation 

    # Open Terminal and check version
/Applications/Thonny.app/Contents/MacOS/thonny --version

Method 2: Homebrew

# Install Homebrew if not already installed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install Thonny using Homebrew Cask
brew install --cask thonny

# Launch Thonny
open -a Thonny

macOS Troubleshooting

Issue: "Thonny cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified"

Solution: 1. Go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy 2. Click "Open Anyway" next to the Thonny warning 3. Or right-click Thonny.app → Open → Click "Open"

Issue: Permission denied when accessing USB

Solution: 

# Grant Terminal access to USB devices
sudo dseditgroup -o edit -a $(whoami) -t user dialout
# Restart your Mac

Installation on Windows

  1. Download Thonny
  2. Visit https://thonny.org
  3. Click on the Windows download link

  4. Download the .exe installer (choose 32-bit or 64-bit based on your system)

  5. Check Your Windows Architecture

  6. Press Win + Pause/Break
  7. Look for "System type"

  8. Download the matching installer

  9. Install Thonny

  10. Double-click the downloaded .exe file
  11. Click "Yes" if prompted by User Account Control
  12. Choose installation options:
    • "Install for me only" (recommended) or "Install for all users"
    • Default installation directory: C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Programs\Thonny

  13. Click "Install"

  14. Launch Thonny

  15. Find Thonny in Start Menu

  16. Or create a desktop shortcut during installation

  17. Verify Installation 

    # Open Command Prompt and check version
thonny --version

Method 2: Windows Package Manager (winget)

# Install using Windows Package Manager
winget install AivarAnnamaa.Thonny

# Launch Thonny
thonny

Windows Troubleshooting

Issue: "USB device not recognized"

Solution: 1. Install Pico drivers manually 2. Download from Raspberry Pi Pico documentation 3. Restart your computer

Issue: Thonny doesn't start

Solution: - Make sure you have admin rights - Temporarily disable antivirus software - Re-download installer and try again

Installation on Linux

Ubuntu/Debian-based Distributions

# Update package list
sudo apt update

# Install Thonny
sudo apt install thonny -y

# Launch Thonny
thonny &

Fedora/RHEL-based Distributions

# Install Thonny
sudo dnf install thonny -y

# Launch Thonny
thonny &

Arch Linux

# Install from AUR
yay -S thonny

# Or using pacman (if available in repos)
sudo pacman -S thonny

# Launch Thonny
thonny &

Installing from Python pip (All Linux Distributions)

# Install pip if not already installed
sudo apt install python3-pip python3-tk  # Ubuntu/Debian
# OR
sudo dnf install python3-pip python3-tkinter  # Fedora
# OR
sudo pacman -S python-pip tk  # Arch

# Install Thonny using pip
pip3 install thonny

# Launch Thonny
thonny &

Linux Troubleshooting

Issue: Permission denied when accessing USB/serial ports

Solution: 

# Add your user to dialout group
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

# Add to tty group as well
sudo usermod -a -G tty $USER

# Log out and log back in (or reboot)
# Verify group membership
groups

Issue: Thonny doesn't detect Raspberry Pi Pico

Solution: 

# Install serial port tools
sudo apt install python3-serial

# Check if device is detected
ls -l /dev/ttyACM*
# or
ls -l /dev/ttyUSB*

# Create udev rule for Pico
sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-pico.rules

# Add this line:
# SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="2e8a", MODE:="0666"

# Reload udev rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger

# Unplug and replug the Pico

First-Time Setup (All Platforms)

After installing Thonny, follow these steps:

  1. Launch Thonny

  2. Start the application

  3. Select Interface Language

  4. Choose your preferred language

  5. Click "Let's go!"

  6. Configure for Raspberry Pi Pico

  7. Go to Tools → Options → Interpreter
  8. Select "MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)"
  9. Port should be auto-detected

  10. Click "OK"

  11. Verify Connection

  12. Connect your Raspberry Pi Pico via USB
  13. Look for "MicroPython" in the bottom-right corner

  14. You should see >>> prompt in the Shell

  15. Test Installation 

    # Type this in the Shell:
print("Hello from Thonny!")

Updating Thonny

macOS

# If installed via Homebrew:
brew upgrade thonny

# If installed via .pkg:
# Download and install the latest .pkg from thonny.org

Windows

# If installed via winget:
winget upgrade AivarAnnamaa.Thonny

# If installed via .exe:
# Download and run the latest installer from thonny.org

Linux

# Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade thonny

# Fedora:
sudo dnf upgrade thonny

# Via pip:
pip3 install --upgrade thonny

Next Steps

After successfully installing Thonny:

  1. Flash Raspberry Pi Pico - Set up your Pico with MicroPython
  2. Run Example Scripts - Try the sample code
  3. Troubleshooting - Solutions to common problems

Additional Resources

Support

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide:

  1. Check the Troubleshooting Guide
  2. Visit the Thonny Forum
  3. Check the Raspberry Pi Forums