How To Start Jupyter Notebook From Command Prompt

Fredricka Whitfield

2 min read

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03-01-2025

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Jupyter Notebook is a powerful tool for interactive computing, allowing you to combine code, visualizations, and narrative text in a single document. But before you can harness its capabilities, you need to know how to launch it. This guide will walk you through starting Jupyter Notebook directly from your command prompt (or terminal, depending on your operating system).

Prerequisites: Installation and Setup

Before you can launch Jupyter Notebook from the command prompt, you need to have it installed. If you haven't already, you'll need to install it using your system's package manager (like conda or pip). For example, using pip, the command would be:

pip install jupyter

After successful installation, you should be able to access Jupyter Notebook from the command line.

Launching Jupyter Notebook

Once Jupyter is installed, launching it from your command prompt is straightforward. Open your command prompt and type the following command:

jupyter notebook

Press Enter. This will start the Jupyter Notebook server. You should see a message similar to this in your command prompt:

[I 15:37:54.542 NotebookApp] Serving notebooks from local directory: /path/to/your/current/directory
[I 15:37:54.542 NotebookApp] Jupyter Notebook 6.5.2 is running at:
[I 15:37:54.542 NotebookApp] http://localhost:8888/?token=your_token
[I 15:37:54.542 NotebookApp]  or http://127.0.0.1:8888/?token=your_token
[I 15:37:54.542 NotebookApp] Use Control-C to stop this server and shut down all kernels (twice to skip confirmation).

Note: /path/to/your/current/directory will be replaced with the actual path to the directory where you ran the command. The token is crucial for security; do not share it publicly.

The message indicates the URL (usually http://localhost:8888/?token=your_token) where Jupyter Notebook is running. Open this URL in your web browser.

Understanding the Output

The output from the command provides critical information:

• Serving notebooks from local directory: This shows the directory that Jupyter Notebook will use as its root. Any files and folders within this directory will be accessible through the Jupyter Notebook interface.

• Jupyter Notebook is running at: This is the URL you need to access Jupyter Notebook in your web browser. The token ensures that only authorized users can access your notebooks.

• Use Control-C to stop this server: This tells you how to gracefully shut down the Jupyter server when you're finished. Pressing Control-C twice will confirm the shutdown.

Specifying a Different Working Directory

By default, Jupyter Notebook starts in the directory where you executed the command. To start Jupyter in a different directory, specify the path using the --notebook-dir flag:

jupyter notebook --notebook-dir=/path/to/your/desired/directory

Replace /path/to/your/desired/directory with the actual path.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, ensure that:

• Jupyter is installed: Double-check your installation using your package manager.
• Port 8888 is available: If the port is already in use, you might need to change it using the --port flag (e.g., jupyter notebook --port=8889).
• Path is correct: Verify that the path you specify using --notebook-dir is accurate.

By following these steps, you can efficiently launch Jupyter Notebook from your command prompt and begin your interactive computing journey. Remember to always protect your token.