Is There an Official Method for Managing Multiple Python Versions on a Single Machine?

Managing Multiple Python Versions on a Single Machine

Numerous online resources provide guidance on how to install and utilize multiple Python versions on a single Linux machine. However, it's crucial to determine if there's an official method endorsed by the Python project.

OS Dependence

The answer indicates that the process is entirely OS-independent, suggesting that the procedure varies depending on the particular Linux operating system being used.

Manual Installation

For manual installation, the readme file in the Python source code provides the following instructions:

Multiple Version Installation

On Unix and Mac systems, if installing multiple Python versions with the same prefix, ensure that your primary Python executable remains untouched. All files installed via make altinstall include version information, allowing them to coexist. make install creates an alias (python3) that links to the primary version (pythonX.Y).

For multiple installations, select one version as the primary and install it with make install. Install all others with make altinstall.

Example

To install Python versions 2.5, 2.6, and 3.0 with 2.6 as the primary:

• make install in the 2.6 build directory
• make altinstall for all other versions

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