macos - What Does the python -v Command Do

Question

I recently reinstalled my macOS and I wanted to check the version of Python. I typed python -v into the terminal and I am not sure what this did? I am new to the terminal and python programming. Did I install new software on accident?

Last login: Sun May 14 15:02:37 on ttys000
Matthews-MacBook-Pro:~ matthewkol$ python -v
# installing zipimport hook
import zipimport # builtin
# installed zipimport hook
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site.py
import site # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/os.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/os.py
import os # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/os.pyc
import errno # builtin
import posix # builtin
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/posixpath.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/posixpath.py
import posixpath # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/posixpath.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/stat.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/stat.py
import stat # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/stat.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/genericpath.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/genericpath.py
import genericpath # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/genericpath.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/warnings.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/warnings.py
import warnings # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/warnings.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/linecache.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/linecache.py
import linecache # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/linecache.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/types.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/types.py
import types # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/types.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/UserDict.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/UserDict.py
import UserDict # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/UserDict.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_abcoll.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_abcoll.py
import _abcoll # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_abcoll.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/abc.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/abc.py
import abc # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/abc.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_weakrefset.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_weakrefset.py
import _weakrefset # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_weakrefset.pyc
import _weakref # builtin
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/copy_reg.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/copy_reg.py
import copy_reg # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/copy_reg.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/traceback.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/traceback.py
import traceback # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/traceback.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sysconfig.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sysconfig.py
import sysconfig # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sysconfig.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/re.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/re.py
import re # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/re.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_compile.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_compile.py
import sre_compile # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_compile.pyc
import _sre # builtin
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_parse.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_parse.py
import sre_parse # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_parse.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_constants.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_constants.py
import sre_constants # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/sre_constants.pyc
dlopen("/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/_locale.so", 2);
import _locale # dynamically loaded from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/_locale.so
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_sysconfigdata.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_sysconfigdata.py
import _sysconfigdata # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_sysconfigdata.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_osx_support.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_osx_support.py
import _osx_support # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/_osx_support.pyc
import encodings # directory /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/__init__.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/__init__.py
import encodings # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/__init__.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/codecs.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/codecs.py
import codecs # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/codecs.pyc
import _codecs # builtin
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/aliases.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/aliases.py
import encodings.aliases # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/aliases.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/utf_8.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/utf_8.py
import encodings.utf_8 # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/encodings/utf_8.pyc
Python 2.7.10 (default, Feb  6 2017, 23:53:20) 
[GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple LLVM 8.0.0 (clang-800.0.34)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
dlopen("/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/readline.so", 2);
import readline # dynamically loaded from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/readline.so
>>> help
Type help() for interactive help, or help(object) for help about object.
>>> help(object)
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/pydoc.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/pydoc.py
import pydoc # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/pydoc.pyc
import imp # builtin
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/inspect.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/inspect.py
import inspect # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/inspect.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/string.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/string.py
import string # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/string.pyc
dlopen("/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/strop.so", 2);
import strop # dynamically loaded from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/strop.so
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/dis.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/dis.py
import dis # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/dis.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/opcode.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/opcode.py
import opcode # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/opcode.pyc
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/tokenize.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/tokenize.py
import tokenize # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/tokenize.pyc
dlopen("/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/itertools.so", 2);
import itertools # dynamically loaded from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/itertools.so
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/token.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/token.py
import token # precompiled from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/token.pyc
dlopen("/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/operator.so", 2);
import operator # dynamically loaded from /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/operator.so
# /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/collections.pyc matches /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/collections.

Answer 1

This will show you the way your modules are loading for debugging reasons. (in this case it is just the base modules)

Documentation: https://docs.python.org/2/using/cmdline.html#cmdoption-v