Fixing “ImportError: No module named _tkinter” on macOS (Python, pytest‑cov, VS Code)

📰 Medium · DevOps

Fix the 'ImportError: No module named _tkinter' error on macOS for Python, pytest-cov, and VS Code

intermediate Published 20 Jun 2026

Action Steps

Install the Xcode Command Line Tools using 'xcode-select --install' to ensure necessary build tools are available
Run 'brew install python-tk' to install the _tkinter module using Homebrew
Verify the installation by running 'python -m tkinter' in the terminal
Configure your VS Code settings to use the correct Python interpreter
Run your pytest-cov tests again to ensure the error is resolved

Who Needs to Know This

Developers and DevOps engineers working with Python on macOS can benefit from this solution to resolve the _tkinter import error

Key Insight

💡 The _tkinter module is not included in the standard Python installation on macOS, but can be installed using Homebrew

Key Takeaways

Fix the 'ImportError: No module named _tkinter' error on macOS for Python, pytest-cov, and VS Code

_tkinter, the nightmare that almost ruin my week. Continue reading on TechCookies »