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Asked: 2024-09-24T22:26:55+05:30 In: ,

I’m facing an issue where Python is installed on my Ubuntu system, yet when I attempt to run it using the ‘python’ command in the terminal, I receive an error indicating that the command is not found. What could be the reason for this, and how can I resolve it?

I’ve been having this frustrating issue with Python on my Ubuntu system, and I could really use some help figuring it out. So, here’s the deal: I installed Python (or at least I thought I did), but every time I try to run it using the ‘python’ command in the terminal, I get this annoying error that says the command isn’t found. It’s like I’m speaking a different language or something!

I double-checked to see if Python is installed. I tried using ‘python3’ instead, and that worked like a charm. But here’s the kicker—when I type just ‘python,’ it’s like my system doesn’t even recognize that I ever installed it. I thought that maybe I just need to create a symlink or something, but I have no idea how to do that without potentially messing up something else on my system.

I’ve been doing a bit of research and found out that it might have something to do with how Python versions are handled in Ubuntu. Apparently, some systems only come with Python 3 installed by default and the ‘python’ command may not point to anything if it’s not set up that way. I even stumbled across discussions about using aliases, but I’m not sure if that’s the right approach.

I really want to avoid making my system unstable, you know? Plus, all of this is just making it harder for me to work on my projects. If I need to run Python scripts and modules, it would just be a lot easier if I could run them with the ‘python’ command like I used to on other systems.

Has anyone else run into this issue before? How did you fix it? What are the best practices for making sure everything’s set up correctly, so I can just type ‘python’ and get to coding without stress? Any insights or step-by-step advice would be super appreciated! I’m eager to sort this out, so I can focus on my projects instead of troubleshooting. Thanks in advance!

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    2 Answers



    1. Python Not Found Issue on Ubuntu

      Help with Python on Ubuntu

      It sounds like you’re running into a common issue with how Python versions are set up on Ubuntu. You’re right that many systems come with Python 3 installed by default, and the python command may not be linked to anything unless you set it up.

      Here’s a simple way to create a symlink:

      1. Open your terminal.
      2. First, check where Python 3 is installed by running: 
        which python3
      3. It should return a path like /usr/bin/python3. Now, you can create a symlink. Run this command: 
        sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python
      4. Now try running python in your terminal again. It should work!

      Using Aliases:

      If creating a symlink feels risky, you can just use an alias as a quick fix. You can add this line to your .bashrc file:

      alias python='python3'

      After adding it, run source ~/.bashrc to refresh the terminal. Now, typing python will run python3!

      Things to Keep in Mind:

      • Some scripts may expect python to refer to Python 2.x, so check any dependencies if you’re working on older projects.
      • Using virtual environments (like venv) can help manage different projects and Python versions cleanly.

      Don’t worry too much about messing things up. Linux is generally pretty forgiving, and you can always undo changes if something doesn’t work like you expect. Good luck with your projects!


    2. The issue you’re encountering is quite common with newer versions of Ubuntu, where the ‘python’ command may not be automatically linked to a version of Python since Python 2.x has been deprecated. Instead, most distributions ship with Python 3.x, which you can access using the ‘python3’ command. To resolve this, you can create a symlink that points ‘python’ to ‘python3’. Open your terminal and use the following command to create the symlink: sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python. This will allow you to invoke Python by simply typing ‘python’ into your terminal, which is crucial for running scripts and modules that may rely on that command.

      As an alternative to creating a symlink, you could also set up an alias in your shell configuration file to automatically link ‘python’ to ‘python3’. You can add the line alias python=python3 to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile file, then run source ~/.bashrc (or source ~/.bash_profile) to apply the changes. This is a non-intrusive method and won’t affect the underlying system paths. It’s essential to avoid making changes that could disrupt system stability, so if you’re running a dual-version setup or working on multiple projects with varying dependencies, consider using virtual environments with tools like `venv` or `conda` to manage your Python installations cleanly.

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