If we discuss very popular programming languages, we have to discuss Python. This programming language is present in many technologies that are part of our days. And Python is also a fundamental component of many Linux distributions. So, in this post, you will learn how to install Python on Linux Mint.
The installation of Python in Linux Mint
Many of the applications or configuration scripts that come by default in Linux Mint and in any Linux distribution are made in Python. That is why in Linux, Python is a major component of each of the distributions.
However, it is always possible to upgrade Python or install alternative versions so that developers have more tools to create their applications. For example, Python 3.10 has recently been released with a lot of new features that many developers would like to take advantage of.
So let’s go for it.
Install Python on Linux Mint
Python is installed by default on Linux Mint and other distributions. To check it, you can open a terminal from the main menu and run.
python3 --version
Sample Output
Python 3.8.10
As we can see, the installed version is 3.8.10 which we can consider as stable, but it is not the most recent one.
You can also check if PIP, the Python package manager, is installed by using the command
pip3 -V
Sample Output:
pip 21.3.1 from /home/user/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pip (python 3.8)
If you don’t have it installed, then you can do it using the command
sudo apt install python3-pip
Now that we know we have Python on the system, we can install a newer version.
Install Python 3.10 on Linux Mint 20
For many developers, having the latest version of the programming language where they make their applications is vital. So today, we will see how to get the latest stable version, which is 3.10.
One method to do this is through the Python PPA repository. Before adding it, it is necessary to install a package. So, in a terminal run
sudo apt install software-properties-common
Now add the repository in question:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
Refresh APT to apply the changes
sudo apt update
And now, install Python 3.10 using this command
sudo apt install python3.10
Then, you can check the installed version.
python3.10 --version
Output
Python 3.10.2
And just like that, we can install it without interfering with the version of Python on the system.
Another method: Installing Python from source code
Some people prefer to compile the source code themselves to have more control over their applications.
Regarding Python, we can do this too.
Note: you don’t have to use both methods. Just choose one.
First, download the Python 3.10 source code in its latest stable version.
wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.10.2/Python-3.10.2.tgz
Now unzip it using tar.
tar xzf Python-3.10.2.tgz
Access the folder and configure it.
cd Python-3.10.2
sudo ./configure --enable-optimizations
And now compile it and install it alternatively to the system.
sudo make altinstall
At the end, you can check again the installed version to know if the installation was successful.
python3.10 --version
You should get this screen output
Python 3.10.2
That’s how we failed to get Python on Linux Mint 20.
Conclusion
Python is an important programming language today. It is shaping up to be the most popular, or at least in the top. Thanks to this post you can install it on Linux Mint 20 and besides that upgrade it to recent versions.
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