/PythonInstallationforLinuxMint

Linux Mint python installation cheat-sheet

Python Installation for Linux

Python 2 Delete

sudo apt purge -y python2.7-minimal
sudo apt autoremove python

Python 2 Install

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential checkinstall
sudo apt-get install libreadline-gplv2-dev libncursesw5-dev libssl-dev libsqlite3-dev tk-dev libgdbm-dev libc6-dev libbz2-dev
sudo apt install python-is-python2
python --version
Python 2.7.18  # Output

Python 3 Install

sudo apt install python-is-python3
python --version
  • Currently your main python version is seems python 3
Python 3.8.2  # Output
  • If you want to switch python main version to python 2
sudo apt install python-is-python2
python --version
  • Thats it
Python 2.7.18  # Output

Choosable Python Versions

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python2 1
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3 2
  • We create a list actually lets check it
sudo update-alternatives --list python
  • Output like this
# Output
/usr/bin/python2
/usr/bin/python3
  • We want to choose something
sudo update-alternatives --config python
There are 2 choices for the alternative python (providing /usr/bin/python).

  Selection    Path              Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /usr/bin/python3   2         auto mode
  1            /usr/bin/python2   1         manual mode
  2            /usr/bin/python3   2         manual mode
  Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 1

python --version
Python 2.7.18  # Output