Python Installation on Linux with Hands-on Examples

Python is a high-level, interpreted, and general-purpose programming language known for its simplicity and readability. Top universities have adopted it widely as the primary language to introduce students to programming.

Even the top MNCs like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and more rely on Python as the fundamental language for powering their AI/ML applications. Due to its flexibility, you can create a wide range of applications, like:

• Web Applications
• Data analysis and visualization
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence
• Scientific Computing
• Automation and scripting
• Game Development
• Desktop Application
• Network Programming
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Robotics
• Natural language processing (NLP), and many more.

Exciting, isn’t it? So, without wasting any time, let’s learn how to install the latest version of Python on your preferred Linux distribution. Additionally, we’ll demonstrate how to set up the pip package manager with practical examples.

Tutorial Details

Key Features

At the beginning of this article, we explored the extensive capabilities of Python, which enable you to create applications and programs across diverse domains.

Now, let’s dive into the highlighted features that make Python a powerful and versatile programming language:

• Readable and concise syntax
• Interpreted Language
• Multi-paradigm (supports procedural, object-oriented, and functional programming)
• Large Standard Library (provide built-in libraries for I/O, networking, regular expressions, and more)
• Cross-platform (the same program can be run on Windows, macOS, and Linux)
• Dynamic typing (allows variables to change at runtime)
• Community and Ecosystem

Now, let’s dive into the steps involved in installing the latest version of Python on your preferred Linux system.

How to Install the Latest Python on Linux

Note that Python is a popular programming language, and many Linux distributions like Kali Linux, Parrot, Ubuntu, etc. ship Python out of the box.

Unfortunately, if you are using a light-weight version of Linux, like Tiny Linux or some other, where Python is not installed, you can follow the following steps based on your distribution:

Installing Python on a Debian or Ubuntu System

Python 3.10 or Python 3.8 comes pre-installed in most Debian or Ubuntu-based distributions; if it’s not found in your distribution, simply follow these instructions.

Open your terminal, update the repository, and then install the latest version of Python by executing the following commands:

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install python3 -y

Installing Python 3.11 on a Debian or Ubuntu System

At this very moment, the repository for Debian or Ubuntu-based distributions holds Python 3.10 and Python 3.8 sources, despite Python 3.11 being readily available.

To install the latest Python 3.11 version on Ubuntu, utilize the “deadsnakes” team PPA, which contains the latest Python 3.11 source for Debian or Ubuntu-based distributions.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install python3.11

You can alternatively specify each Python version number to install different versions.

$ sudo apt install python3.10
$ sudo apt install python3.9
$ sudo apt install python3.8
$ sudo apt install python3.7
$ sudo apt install python3.6

If you’ve installed Python 3.11 on your system, it’s possible that your system already came with Python 3.10 or Python 3.8.

So, when you access Python 3.11 (recently installed), you might be prompted with the Python 3.10 or Python 3.8 interpreters, as they were preinstalled and set as defaults.

You can access the Python 3.11 interpreter in two ways: either execute the “python3.11” command or set it as the default by running the following command.

$ python3 --version
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python3.10 1
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python3.11 2
$ sudo update-alternatives --config python3
$ python3 --version

Installing Python on a Red Hat or Fedora System

For Red Hat/Fedora-based distributions, you can use the DNF or YUM package manager to install Python on your system.

$ sudo dnf install python3 -y

#OR

$ sudo yum install python3 -y

Installing Python on an Arch or Manjaro System

For Arch and its derivatives (like Manjaro), Python can be installed from the default Pacman package manager by executing the following command:

$ sudo pacman -Sy python

Verify the Installation

After the installation is successfully completed, execute the following command to verify that Python is accessible from the terminal:

$ python3 --version

Output:

Note that in many Linux distributions, “python” refers to Python 2.x, and “python3” refers to Python 3.x. The reason for this is to provide support for old or deprecated packages.

However, if you are working on a new project, it is recommended to use Python 3, as Python 2 has reached its end-of-life and is no longer receiving updates.

How to Install Pip on Linux

If you intend to use Python for development purposes, you may also want to install “pip“, the Python package manager, as it may not always be included by default.

• How to Install and Use Python Pipx on Linux

The installation step may vary depending on the Linux distribution you are using. Although we have provided you with steps to install it on the most popular Linux distribution.

$ sudo apt install python3-pip -y                                   #Debian, Ubuntu, or Pop!_OS
$ sudo dnf install python3-pip -y                                   #Fedora 
$ sudo yum install python3-pip -y                                  #Red Hat, CentOS
$ sudo pacman -Sy python-pip                                       #Arch, Manjaro, or EndeavourOS 

Once the installation is complete, verify the accessibility of the command by executing the following command:

$ pip --version

Output:

With “pip” installed, you can easily manage Python packages for your projects.

Testing Python with a Sample Script

Once Python is installed, you can either type “python3” and hit “enter” to open the Python interactive session and start writing your program.

But in most cases, it is not recommended to directly use an interpreter. Instead, create a sample script and run it with the Python command using the following steps:

1. Create a new file with a “.py” extension and write your code or paste the following sample code in the script.

print("Hello, LinuxTLDR!")

2. Save the Python script to your desired directory with an appropriate name, such as “hello.py“.

3. Open the terminal and navigate to the directory where you saved the Python script (ref: “hello.py“)

4. Execute the Python script using the “python3” command followed by the script filename:

$ python3 hello.py

Output:

5. Make the Script Executable (Optional): To execute the script without explicitly using the “python3” command, you must include a shebang line at the top of the script. The shebang line specifies the path to the Python interpreter, enabling direct execution. So, your script should look like the following one:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
print("Hello, LinuxTLDR!")

6. Before running the script directly, you need to set its executable permissions using the chmod command, as shown:

$ chmod +x hello.py

7. You can now run your Python scripts directly by using “./” and the script filename instead of the “python3” command.

$ ./hello.py

Output:

Testing Pip by Installing Libraries

Pip is the Python package manager that allows you to use and manage external libraries in your projects apart from the built-in libraries.

The following are some of the popular Python libraries that every individual should know:

• NumPy: It provides support for large, multi-dimensional arrays and matrices, along with a vast collection of mathematical functions to operate on these arrays.
• Pandas: It offers data structures like DataFrame and Series to make it easier to work with structured data and perform data operations efficiently.
• Matplotlib: It provides a flexible interface for creating a wide range of static, interactive, and publication-quality plots and charts.
• Requests: It is used for making HTTP requests in XML documents to extract data from web pages.
• Jupyter: It is an interactive, web-based computational environment that facilitates data analysis, visualization, and collaboration through notebooks.

Now, to install the aforementioned libraries on your Linux system via the pip package manager, you can follow the following commands:

$ pip install numpy                                                           #NumPy
$ pip install pandas                                                          #Pandas
$ pip install matplotlib                                                     #Matplotlib
$ pip install requests                                                         #Requests
$ pip install jupyter                                                           #Jupyter

Output:

After installing the libraries, you can import them into your Python scripts or interactive sessions. In the following example, I’ve imported them into an interactive session:

$ python3
$ import numpy as np
$ import pandas as pd
$ import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
$ import requests

Output:

Note that after installing the external libraries using the “pip” command, you only need to import them into your Python project or interpreter whenever you want to use them in your code.

For example, I want to create a simple NumPy array (for which I will only import the NumPy library), as shown:

import numpy as np

# Create a NumPy array
x = np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6])

# Print the array
print(x)

Output:

Note that libraries like Jupyter, which itself is not a library or package that you can directly import into a Python script or program.

It is an interactive computing platform that allows you to create and work with Jupyter Notebooks, which are web-based documents containing live code, visualizations, and narrative text.

• AI Magic in Jupyter: Integrate and Enhance Productivity with Jupyter AI

For example, when you issue the following command, it will launch the Jupyter Notebook in your default web browser:

$ jupyter notebook

Output:

How to Configure VIM as an IDE for Python

Python becomes more effective when used within scripts. Creating these scripts can be done through conventional GUI text editors or popular Python IDEs like PyCharm.

How about using VIM, a CLI-based text editor, as your primary Python IDE? With VIM, you can do a lot. Let’s start with the most basic.

1. Open your “.vimrc” file using the following command:

$ vim ~/.vimrc

2. Add the following configurations:

" Enable line numbers
set number

" Enable syntax highlighting
syntax enable
set background=dark

" Enable auto-indentation
set autoindent
set smartindent
set tabstop=4
set shiftwidth=4
set expandtab

" Enable Python-specific settings
autocmd FileType python setlocal tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 expandtab

" Enable line wrapping
set wrap

" Enable line wrapping with a visual indicator
set linebreak
set showbreak=+++ 

" Enable mouse support (optional)
set mouse=a

" Enable clipboard support (requires Vim to be compiled with +clipboard)
set clipboard=unnamedplus

This configuration sets up basic Python-friendly settings like indentation, line numbers, syntax highlighting, and more. Feel free to customize it further to suit your preferences.

Once you’re done, save and close your file. Editing Python files with a “.py” extension will automatically transform your environment into a full-fledged IDE.

How to Remove Python in Linux

To remove Python from your current Linux system, including pip (if installed). You can choose one of the following commands based on your Linux system:

For Debian and Ubuntu:

$ sudo apt remove python3 -y                                           #For Python
$ sudo apt remove python3-pip -y                                    #For Pip

If you installed the latest Python 3.11 using the “deadsnakes” team PPA, begin by removing the PPA, followed by removing the Python version you installed, for example, “Python3.11“.

$ sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
$ sudo apt remove python3.11
$ sudo apt autoremove

For Red Hat or Fedora:

$ sudo dnf remove python3 -y                                             #For Python
$ sudo dnf remove python3-pip -y                                      #For Pip

#OR

$ sudo yum remove python3 -y                                           #For Python
$ sudo yum remove python3-pip -y                                    #For Pip

For Arch or Manjaro:

$ sudo pacman -R python                                                    #For Python
$ sudo pacman -R python-pip                                             #For Pip

Final Word

I hope you find this article useful, as I tried to cover all the important things one should know before starting with Python.

If something is skipped and should be included, then do let me know via the comment section, including your queries or questions.

Till then, peace!