How do I uninstall all my python packages?

Question

I have previously had a good working version of Python 3.6.0 on my macOS Sierra, that included modules like matplotlib .

However, I had the need of learning an image processing program, thus I wanted to learn openCV. I tried following this link to download and install openCV. In the process I have downloaded the following programs:

1. Xcode
2. Homebrew
3. Python 2.7.10
4. Python 3.6.1

I found that I could import the cv2 module in my IDLE, however I could no longer import matplotlib in IDLE. Things are very messy with the 3 versions on Python on my macOS Sierra, and I would like to remove everything related to Python, so that I can start afresh, installing Python again, and hopefully install openCV on the same version of Python that has all the other modules that I was previously using.

Answer 1

I recommend using conda ( https://conda.io/miniconda.html ) to manage your python environments and installed packages. It made my life soooo much better.

eg

$ conda create -n project_1_env python=3.5
$ source activate project_1_env
# project 1 uses python 3.5, and I install packages using `conda install <package>

$ conda create -n project_2_env python=2
$ source activate project_2_env
# project 2 uses python 2.X, and when I activate this environment
# the python 3.6 project-1 doesn't impact me at all

As well as python versions, conda lets you install specific version of packages for different virtual conda environments.

Answer 2

If you are using the Homebrew versions of Python, you can just uninstall them and reinstall.

## Uninstall python & python3 packages. We use ignore-dependencies
## so the uninstaller will allow this; it's okay, we're going to reinstall
## right away anyway.

brew uninstall --ignore-dependencies python3
brew uninstall --ignore-dependencies python

## This will remove all of your locally installed Python packages.

rm -rf /usr/local/lib/python?.?

## And now reinstall the main Python packages.

brew install python python3