The Python team has released its latest version Python 3.8 for general use. You can download the latest stable version Python 3.8 series and install it on your system. This article will help you to install Python 3.8.0 on Ubuntu, Debian, and LinuxMint operating system. You can visit here to read more about Python releases.
Step 1 – Prerequsitis
As you are going to install Python 3.8 from the source. You need to install some development libraries to compile Python source code. Use the following command to install prerequisites for Python:
sudo apt-get install build-essential checkinstall sudo apt-get install libreadline-gplv2-dev libncursesw5-dev libssl-dev \ libsqlite3-dev tk-dev libgdbm-dev libc6-dev libbz2-dev libffi-dev zlib1g-dev
Step 2 – Download Python 3.8
Download Python source code using the following command from python official site. You can also download the latest version in place of specified below.
cd /opt sudo wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.8.0/Python-3.8.0.tgz
Then extract the downloaded source archive file
sudo tar xzf Python-3.8.0.tgz
Step 3 – Compile Python Source
Use below set of commands to compile Python source code on your system using altinstall.
cd Python-3.8.0 sudo ./configure --enable-optimizations sudo make altinstall
Step 4 – Check Python Version
Check the installed version of python using the following command. As you have not overwritten the default Python version on the system, So you have to use Python 3.8 as follows:
python3.8 -V Python-3.8.0
After successful installation remove the downloaded archive to save disk space
cd /opt sudo rm -f Python-3.8.0.tgz
Didn’t work for me. Looking in config.log, there’s
configure:3870: $? = 0
configure:3859: gcc -V >&5
gcc: error: unrecognized command line option ‘-V’
gcc: fatal error: no input files
compilation terminated.
Thank you very much, I use all instructions and it run perfectly.
I’ve installed and using it, but 3.8 doesn’t appear when I use “ls -ls /usr/bin/python*”, only the versions I had previously. Where it was installed?
I have installed this and it works very well. However, I want know how to uninstall this version of python as a Just In Case.
works in linuxmint terminal window
Laura,
You might have just typed in Python3 instead of Python3.8. Just my guess.
The reason it pulled up Python3.7.3 instead of Python3.8 is that you may have not told it you wanted Python3.8
The default python binary file is usr/bin/python if you had followed Rahul’s instructions as posted above.
This may not have answered your question fully but at least it will help point you in the right direction.
P.s. sorry I did not realize I did not hit the Reply to Laura in my last comment.
Laura,
You might have just typed in Python3 instead of Python3.8. Just my guess.
The reason it pulled up Python3.7.3 instead of Python3.8 is that you may have not told it you wanted Python3.8
The default python binary file is usr/bin/python if you had followed Rahul’s instructions as posted above.
This may not have answered your question fully but at least it will help point you in the right direction.
Hi, thank you very much for this information.
I have a question: where is the file with python3.8.0?
in “ls -l / usr / bin / python *”
Does not appear
Thank you Rahul,
now, I want you to suggest what next steps come first, I want to work with spyder:
Must I create a virtual env for python 3.8 first and then install and declare such env inside spyder? or can I use the python default version of my system to install spyder and then declare only the path to python 3.8?
For the Application-specific Python version, I suggest using virtualenv.
Does not work, when starting my IDLE, I’m still on the 3.7.3 version….
What should I do ?