Problem
I recently decided that instead of using python2, I wanted the command python to use python3.
So here’s what I did:
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python2.7 2
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3.5 3
$ sudo update-alternatives --config python
$ sudo update-alternatives --config python
There are 2 choices for the alternative python (providing /usr/bin/python).
Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /usr/bin/python3.5 3 auto mode
1 /usr/bin/python2.7 2 manual mode
2 /usr/bin/python3.5 3 manual mode
Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 0
And it all worked out. Excellent! 🙂
$ python -V
Python 3.5.2
But it wasn’t long before I realized I’d crippled apt/ability aptitude’s to install and remove python packages, because apt was expecting python2.
This is how it went down.
$ sudo apt remove python-samba
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
samba-libs
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
python-samba
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 5,790 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
(Reading database ... 187285 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing python-samba (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.5) ...
File "/usr/bin/pyclean", line 63
except (IOError, OSError), e:
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
dpkg: error processing package python-samba (--remove):
subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/pycompile", line 35, in <module>
from debpython.version import SUPPORTED, debsorted, vrepr, \
File "/usr/share/python/debpython/version.py", line 24, in <module>
from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
ImportError: No module named 'ConfigParser'
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
python-samba
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
I eventually deduced that it preferred python2, therefore I undid my adjustments as follows:
$ sudo update-alternatives --config python
There are 2 choices for the alternative python (providing /usr/bin/python).
Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /usr/bin/python3.5 3 auto mode
1 /usr/bin/python2.7 2 manual mode
2 /usr/bin/python3.5 3 manual mode
Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 1
$ python -V
Python 2.7.12
Then apt started working again.
$ sudo apt remove python-samba
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
samba-libs
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove it.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
python-samba
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 5,790 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
(Reading database ... 187285 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing python-samba (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.5) ...
As a result, I’ve had to leave it as python 2, however I create in python 3 and would like my machine to default to python 3 when I start python and idle.
Is there any way to accomplish this without breaking apt?
My system is a Raspberry Pi 3B with Ubuntu installed:
Linux mymachine 4.4.38-v7+ #938 SMP Thu Dec 15 15:22:21 GMT 2016 armv7l armv7l armv7l GNU/Linux
(Actually, it’s an arm v8)
$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=16.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=xenial
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS"
Asked by Will
Solution #1
Python 2 is referred to as python2, and Python 3 is referred to as python3. If you try to update this system-wide, you’ll run into the same problems you’ve already encountered.
Without interfering with the system Python installation, virtual environments allow you to run an isolated Python installation with whatever version of Python and modules you require.
With recent Python 3, venv is part of the standard library; with older versions, you might need to install python3-venv or a similar package.
$HOME~$ python --version
Python 2.7.11
$HOME~$ python3 -m venv myenv
... stuff happens ...
$HOME~$ . ./myenv/bin/activate
(myenv) $HOME~$ type python # "type" is preferred over which; see POSIX
python is /home/you/myenv/bin/python
(myenv) $HOME~$ python --version
Python 3.5.1
A common practice is to have a separate environment for each project you work on, anyway; but if you want this to look like it’s effectively system-wide for your own login, you could add the activation stanza to your .profile or similar.
Answered by tripleee
Solution #2
replace
[bash:~] $ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python \
/usr/bin/python2.7 2
[bash:~] $ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python \
/usr/bin/python3.5 3
with
[bash:~] $ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/local/bin/python python \
/usr/bin/python2.7 2
[bash:~] $ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/local/bin/python python \
/usr/bin/python3.5 3
For example, instead of /usr/bin, install to /usr/local/bin.
Make sure /usr/local/bin is listed before /usr/bin in the PATH.
i.e.
[bash:~] $ echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
Ascertain that this is always the case by include
export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH
to the end of your /.bashrc configuration file Prefixing the PATH environment variable with custom bin folder such as /usr/local/bin or /opt//bin is generally recommended to ensure that customizations are found before the default system ones.
Answered by jonrobm
Solution #3
I done this to be able to use newer versions of Python3 than Python v3.4 without breaking anything:
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/local/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python3.6 1
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/python3.6 to provide /usr/local/bin/python3 (python3) in auto mode
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/local/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python3.7 2
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/python3.7 to provide /usr/local/bin/python3 (python3) in auto mode
$ update-alternatives --list python3
/usr/bin/python3.6
/usr/bin/python3.7
$ sudo update-alternatives --config python3
There are 2 choices for the alternative python3 (providing /usr/local/bin/python3).
Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /usr/bin/python3.7 2 auto mode
1 /usr/bin/python3.6 1 manual mode
2 /usr/bin/python3.7 2 manual mode
Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 1
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/python3.6 to provide /usr/local/bin/python3 (python3) in manual mode
$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/python3 /etc/alternatives/python3
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 18 2019-05-03 02:59:03 /etc/alternatives/python3 -> /usr/bin/python3.6*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 25 2019-05-03 02:58:53 /usr/local/bin/python3 -> /etc/alternatives/python3*
Answered by SebMa
Solution #4
Because python 3 has resurfaced (perhaps due to upgrades?) and is causing major problems with apt updates, I’ve decided to remove it entirely from the alternatives:
root:~# python -V
Python 3.5.2
root:~# update-alternatives --config python
There are 2 choices for the alternative python (providing /usr/bin/python).
Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0 /usr/bin/python3.5 3 auto mode
1 /usr/bin/python2.7 2 manual mode
2 /usr/bin/python3.5 3 manual mode
root:~# update-alternatives --remove python /usr/bin/python3.5
root:~# update-alternatives --config python
There is 1 choice for the alternative python (providing /usr/bin/python).
Selection Path Priority Status
------------------------------------------------------------
0 /usr/bin/python2.7 2 auto mode
* 1 /usr/bin/python2.7 2 manual mode
Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 0
root:~# python -V
Python 2.7.12
root:~# update-alternatives --config python
There is only one alternative in link group python (providing /usr/bin/python): /usr/bin/python2.7
Nothing to configure.
Answered by Will
Solution #5
Almost all of the previous answers are now obsolete for anyone searching this question in 2021.
It’s fine, and even anticipated, for /usr/bin/python to point to Python 3. Python 2 is no longer receiving security updates, so any system that still uses it as the system Python should be upgraded to Python 3. Any contemporary distribution should have previously addressed any potential issues when upgrading to Python 3.
Answered by Daira Hopwood
Post is based on https://stackoverflow.com/questions/43062608/how-to-update-alternatives-to-python-3-without-breaking-apt