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pythonpython-2.7ubuntutkinterversion

Remove 1 version of Python in Ubuntu

So apparently I have 2 Pythons (same version) installed in different folders...one is in /usr/bin/ and the other one is in /usr/local/bin but the one the shell uses when I type in python is the one in /usr/local/bin. I'd like to use the /usr/bin/ version because is the one that works with many imports I've been dealing with such as numpy,matplotlib and Tkinter.

I've tried using pyenv but with this I cannot run Tkinter because Tkinter is installed only for the /usr/bin/ version.

  • Is there a safe way I can delete/uninstall one of those versions without breaking my whole Ubuntu?

  • Is there a way to tell the shell to use the /usr/bin/ version of Python?

  • Is there a way I can install python-tk for any envpy version? Something like sudo apt-get install python-tk in-desired-folders or similar?

An answer to any of those 3 questions would solve my problem, I think.

Solution

  • If these two Python installations are identical (same Python version), there is no reason you can't use the Python packages installed for one version with the other. You'd just have to adjust your PYTHONPATH:

    export PYTHONPATH=/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages

    or variants thereof, depending where exactly the standard (system) Python has installed its packages.

    You can find the latter by starting that Python explicitly, and looking at sys.path. On my Ubuntu system, for example:

    > /usr/bin/python
Python 2.7.6 (default, Jun 22 2015, 17:58:13)
[GCC 4.8.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.path
['', '/usr/lib/python2.7', '/usr/lib/python2.7/plat-x86_64-linux-gnu', '/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-tk', '/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-old', '/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload', '/home/evert/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages', '/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages', '/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages']

    and my PYTHONPATH should be set to 

    export PYTHONPATH=/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages

    instead.

    Alternatively, and perhaps even easier, just create an alias to the Python you want to use (just don't name the alias python; it will sow lots of confusion):

    alias py2=/usr/bin/python

    and use that instead.

    In either case, no need to remove anything in /usr/local/ (or even putting /usr/bin/ at the front of your PATH); you just move the /usr/local directory/Python out of your way.