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Installation

Radon is currently easiest to run directly from source. The repository ships with the interpreter entrypoint in radon.py, example programs, tests, and the standard library.

Requirements

  • Python 3.11 or newer
  • Git

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/radon-project/radon.git
cd radon

Run the REPL

python radon.py

When Radon starts, it prints the current interpreter version and documentation link, then opens the interactive shell.

Run a Script

python radon.py examples/simple.rn

You can also run a one-off command:

python radon.py -c "print(1 + 2)"

CLI Reference

Radon currently supports these top-level CLI options:

  • source_file to run a .rn file
  • -c, --command to run inline Radon code
  • -v, --version to print the interpreter version
  • -h, --help to show usage information

The repository also contains testing-oriented permission flags:

  • -A, --allow-all
  • -D, --allow-disk
  • -P, --allow-py
  • -W, --allow-network

These bypass runtime permission prompts and are intended for testing rather than normal interactive use.

Optional REPL Enhancement

For syntax highlighting and an improved REPL experience, install prompt_toolkit:

pip install prompt_toolkit

This enables:

  • Live syntax highlighting as you type
  • Command history with up/down arrows
  • Auto-suggestions from history

The REPL works without it, but the experience is enhanced with prompt_toolkit installed.

Optional Python Environment

If you want an isolated environment while working on Radon itself:

python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

That setup is useful for development and linting, but not required just to run radon.py.