Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. With its simple and easy-to-learn syntax, Python is a great choice for both beginners and experienced developers.
Unlike other Linux distributions, Python is not installed by default on Rocky Linux 8.4
As you already know, there are two versions of Python being actively developed. While Python 2 is supported and active, Python 3 is considered the present and future of the Python language.
By default, RHEL/Rocky Linux 8 has no command
pythonto avoid locking the user to a specific Python version. Instead, Rocky Linux gives users the option of installing, configuring, and running specific versions of Python. System tools like
yumusing Python’s internal binaries and libraries.
This guide will walk you through installing Python 3 and Python 2 on Rocky Linux 8.
Install Python 3 on Rocky Linux 8
To start installing Python 3 on Rocky Linux 8, run the following command as root or user with privileges sudo in a terminal:
sudo dnf install python3
To verify the installation, check the Python version by typing:
At the time of writing this article, the latest version of Python 3 available in the Rocky Linux repositories is “3.6.x”:
The above command will also install pip on your Rocky Linux system.
To run Python, you need to type
python3 explicitly and run pip type
You should always choose to install the python modules provided by the Rocky Linux distribution using
dnf, as they are supported and tested to work properly on Rocky Linux 8.
Virtual Environmentsallows you to install Python modules in isolated locations for a specific project, rather than being installed globally. This way, you don’t have to worry about other Python projects.
Python 3 module package names begin with ”
python3“. For example, to install the module paramiko , you would run:
sudo dnf install python3-paramiko
Install Python 2 on Rocky Linux 8
Python 2 packages are also included in the default Rocky Linux 8 repository.
To install Python 2, enter the following command:
sudo dnf install python2
Verify the installation by typing:
The output will look like this:
To run Python 2, type
python2, and to run pip type
Set the Default Python Version of Rocky Linux 8
If you have an app that relies on settings to find commands
pythonin the system path, you have to create an unversioned python command and set the default version.
To set Python 3 as a python command to work system-wide, use the utility
sudo alternatives --set python /usr/bin/python3
For Python 2, type:
sudo alternatives --set python /usr/bin/python2
alternativeswill create a symlink
pythonwhich points to the specified version of python.
python --versionin the terminal, and you will see the default Python version.
To change the default version, use one of the commands above. If you want to remove the unversioned python command, type:
sudo alternatives --auto python
On Rocky Linux 8, Python is not installed by default.
To install Python 3, type
dnf install python3and to install Python 2, type
dnf install python2.