Getting PyTorch

Learn how to get PyTorch, a powerful open-source machine learning library for Python. This guide provides a step-by-step tutorial on installing PyTorch and setting up the environment for deep learning …

Updated July 15, 2023

PyTorch is an open-source machine learning library developed by Facebook’s AI Research Lab (FAIR). It is primarily used for building and training deep neural networks, but it also supports other types of machine learning models. PyTorch provides a dynamic computation graph, which makes it easier to implement and debug complex models. In this article, we will guide you through the process of getting PyTorch installed on your system.

Step 1: Meet the Prerequisites

Before installing PyTorch, ensure that you have:

Python 3.6 or higher installed on your system (PyTorch supports Python 3.8 and 3.9 as well).
pip, the package installer for Python, is also required.

Step 2: Install PyTorch

You can install PyTorch using pip by running the following command in your terminal:

pip install torch torchvision torchaudio torchvision

The above command will install PyTorch and its dependencies, including torchvision (for computer vision tasks) and torchaudio (for audio-related tasks).

Step 3: Verify the Installation

After installation, verify that PyTorch is working correctly by running a simple example:

import torch

print(torch.__version__)

This code snippet will print the version of PyTorch installed on your system. If you encounter any issues during installation or verification, refer to the official PyTorch documentation for troubleshooting.

Step 4: Set Up Your Development Environment

Once you have PyTorch installed and verified, set up a basic development environment by creating a new Python file (e.g., main.py) and importing PyTorch:

import torch

# Create a tensor with shape 2x3
tensor = torch.randn(2, 3)
print(tensor)

In this code snippet, we create a random tensor with shape 2x3 using the torch.randn() function. This example demonstrates basic usage of PyTorch tensors.

Conclusion

Getting PyTorch installed on your system is a straightforward process that involves meeting the prerequisites and running a simple installation command. By following these steps and verifying the installation, you can ensure that PyTorch is working correctly. With this comprehensive guide, you are now ready to explore the world of deep learning using Python and PyTorch.

Additional Resources: