How to Install Python 2.7 on Ubuntu, Debian & Linux Mint

Python 2.7, although not the latest version of Python, is sometimes still required for legacy applications and scripts. It’s important to note that Python 2.7 reached the end of its life on January 1, 2020, which means it no longer receives updates, including security updates. However, if you have a specific need for Python 2.7, this article will guide you through the installation process on Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure that you have sudo privileges on your system.

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Step 1: Update Your System

It’s always a good idea to update your package lists and your system to the latest versions of all packages before installing new software. Open your terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Step 2: Check if Python 2.7 is Already Installed

Before installing Python 2.7, check if it is already installed on your system by running:

python --version

or

python2 --version

If the output shows Python 2.7.x, Python 2.7 is already installed on your system. If not, proceed with the next steps.

Step 3: Install Python 2.7

To install Python 2.7, you can use the package manager apt-get. Run the following command:

sudo apt-get install python2.7

This command will install Python 2.7 and its dependencies.

Step 4: Verify the Installation

After the installation is complete, verify it by checking the Python version:

python2.7 --version

This should return “Python 2.7.x”, confirming that Python 2.7 is successfully installed on your system.

Step 5: Install pip for Python 2.7

pip is a package manager for Python that allows you to install and manage additional packages that are not part of the Python standard library. To install pip for Python 2.7, first ensure you have wget installed, then download and run the get-pip.py script:

sudo apt-get install wget
wget https://bootstrap.pypa.io/pip/2.7/get-pip.py
sudo python2.7 get-pip.py

After running these commands, pip2 will be installed for Python 2.7.

Step 6: Using Python 2.7

You can now start using Python 2.7 on your system. To ensure you’re using Python 2.7 specifically, use python2.7 or pip2 for installing Python 2 packages.

Conclusion

Installing Python 2.7 on Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint can be useful for running legacy Python applications. However, it’s strongly recommended to migrate your applications to Python 3 if possible, as Python 2.7 is no longer supported and may pose security risks. Always consider the implications of using outdated software in your projects.