Setting up the Default Python program
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Setting up the Default Python program
I'm not too familiar with the file system or terminal commands. I downloaded the Python 3.6 software from their website only find it already installed with the Mint OS. Looks like the pre-installed version is 3.6. Is this software I need to "configure" in order to use it. There are a lot of files in different folders. I already searched the forum only to find a topic about "segmentation default". Can someone point me in the right direction?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Re: Setting up the Default Python program
Welcome to the Linux Mint forums.
What exactly are you trying to do? Mind that a lot of software on your Linux Mint system depends on the default Python versions remaining unchanged (as the software was developed and tested with that version). You wouldn't be the first person to give themselves a headache of work trying to undo them changing their default Python versions.
Python can actually have many versions installed in parallel without problem. Just don't touch the default Python version!
Linux Mint by default comes with
If you need a newer Python version, you will find Python 3.7 is also available for installation. Just install python3.7-minimal package through Software Manager. It will not touch your default Python 3 version so not risk borking other Python 3 using programs on your system. You can then put the hashbang
You can see all installed Python versions and defaults with command
What exactly are you trying to do? Mind that a lot of software on your Linux Mint system depends on the default Python versions remaining unchanged (as the software was developed and tested with that version). You wouldn't be the first person to give themselves a headache of work trying to undo them changing their default Python versions.
Python can actually have many versions installed in parallel without problem. Just don't touch the default Python version!
Linux Mint by default comes with
python2
version 2.7 and python3
version 3.6. You can just start those programs from the terminal to go to the Python interactive shell of that version. Or if you're writing a Python program just use the proper hashbang line, #!/usr/bin/python2
for Python 2 programs and #!/usr/bin/python3
for Python 3 programs. While python
is also available and currently defaults to python2
it will at some point in the future (as it already does on certain other Linux distros) default to python3
. So to be future proof write your scripts making explicit whether they are for Python 2 or Python 3.If you need a newer Python version, you will find Python 3.7 is also available for installation. Just install python3.7-minimal package through Software Manager. It will not touch your default Python 3 version so not risk borking other Python 3 using programs on your system. You can then put the hashbang
#!/usr/bin/python3.7
to make your Python program use Python 3.7.You can see all installed Python versions and defaults with command
ll /usr/bin/python*