How to Update Python Version? — [Upgrade Python Version]
Are you looking to update Python version to the latest python version? Then this blog post will guide you with how to upgrade Python version.
List of content you will read in this article:
Python is an open-source high-level programming language that allows users to execute commands, plugins on their machine, and even software from several major suppliers. It means you can operate it on many different operating systems, including the Windows VPS Server. Python is a cross-platform programing language.
Pip is one of the best applications for Python package installation and administration. Pip’s popularity stems from the many apps that use this tool. Pip enables 3rd Party package installed to manage binary packages with the quickly configured package manager. Since Python’s latest releases have piping as normal, this guide will explain how to install PIP and how to update Python version with a complete step-by-step guide.
What is PIP?
PIP is a software management framework for installing and managing Python-written program packages. It is called the ‘preferred software installer’ or ‘Pip Installs Packages.’ PIP, used for Python, is a command-line interface for handling PyPI program installation. You might need to upgrade PIP if you’re using an earlier version of Python on Windows. Download the application file, open the command- line and start the installer to run PIP on Windows quickly. It will teach you how PIP is installed on Windows and how it can be modified, upgraded, and set up.
How to update Python on Windows Operating System?
There are two simple ways to update your current Python version with the latest one. They are as follows:
- Using the Python Installer
- Using the Windows Chocolatey Package Manager
So let’s see how we can update the Python version with these two methods, one by one.
Method 1: Python update on Windows using the Python Installer
This method of updating the Python version will work if Python is installed or not on your System.
If Python is already installed on your system, you can check it using the python -V command.
Step 1: Download the Python installer from the Official Website of Python
The easiest way to update the Python version is to download the latest version from the official website ( https://www.python.org/downloads/ )
You can click on the Download Python 3.11.0 button, and it will download the latest compatible Python version for your system.
Step 2: Install the Downloaded Python Installer
After downloading the exe file, double-click on it to install Python.
Step 3: Install Python
Now, you can install the latest version of Python.
Check the “Add python.ext to PATH”, then click on the “ Install Now ” button.
This will start the installation process.
After processing, the latest version of Python will be installed on your system.
Click on the “Close” Button.
Step 4: Verify the Update
After successful installation, you can verify whether or not the latest version is installed on your system. To check the version, you can again run the same command, python -V , on the prompt command.
Now, you can see that it is showing the latest installed version, i.e., Python 3.11.0.
Note: If it still shows the old version, you may restart your system . Or uninstall the old version from the control panel .
Method 2: Install Python using Command Line Only using the Chocolatey Package Manager
Chocolatey is a Package Manager command line tool for windows, and we can use it to install software for our window system. In our case, we can use it to install Python or update the current version of Python.
Step 1 Open The Powershell as Administrator
To install Chocolatey, you need to open PowerShell as Administrator.
Step 2: Install the Chocolatey Package Manager Command
Now, you can install the Chocolatey package manager using the following command.
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString(‘https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1’))
Step 3: Verify the Chocolatey Installation
Now, you need to check whether Chocolatey has been installed successfully. To check it, run the “ choco ” command.
It is installed successfully because it is showing version Chocolatey v1.2.0.
Step 4: Update Python with Chocolatey
With the help of the choco upgrade command, we can update our current Python version.
choco upgrade python -y
Step 5: Verify the Version
You can again check the latest installed Python version using the following command.
python -V
Note: The old version of Python will remain on your system. You can uninstall the old version from the control panel.
How To Upgrade Python on macOS?
You can download the latest version of Python for macOS from the official Python website, similar to what you did on windows OS to update Python version on your system. To check whether it is updated to the lasted version or not, follow the below-listed commands to check the Python version.
If you want to execute this new Python release with the python command instead of python3, install an alias in your $HOME directory’s bash profile file.
Open the terminal window and type the following commands:
$ cd $HOME
$ nano .bash_profile
Then, at the bottom, add this segment.
Python 3.9 version can be checked using the following command.
How to Update Python version on LINUX?
Users can use the below listed Linux commands to upgrade Python version on the Linux server:
ppa:deadsnakes/ppa can be added to the system’s Software Sources to upgrade the machine with unsupported packages from this untrusted PPA.
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
This command is used to update the Python package.
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install python3.9
Then, using the commands below, you can search the versions of your new and current Python installations:
This command will show you the following version of python installed in your system
$ sudo python —version
$ sudo python3 —version
$ sudo python3.9 —version
Conclusion
We have seen how to update Python version on operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Follow the guide carefully to update your python software. We believe this guide fulfills your requirement though you can install the latest version successfully. Leave your comments below for your feedback and queries.
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Tutorials
What is the latest python version?
Python is a programming language with many features and libraries that can be used for various purposes. The latest version of Python is 3.11.0, which was released on Oct. 24, 2022. This version includes bug fixes and improvements to the standard library.
Get or update Python 3 on your computer
This is the fastest way to get python on your computer that I know of. And while there are many ways I suggest you use Anaconda. One of the best parts is that Anaconda offers installers for all OSs available. And since Python 2 is going to be killed off around 2020 by Python 3. It is best to get the 3.7 version installed.
1 — Download the installers for Windows, Mac, Linux. Although like anything else dealing with Linux I assume you already know all of this.
2 — Click through all of the default settings by clicking the “Continue” or “Install” buttons. While you can change the install settings on this page you should still select “install for me only” setting.
(I assume you are using YOUR computer, NOT a school or work one)
3 — Restart your computer.
And there you are. You should have python on your computer now. But first, read the next sections to make sure you did it right.
Where is the terminal?
If you are unaware of what the terminal is please follow the instructions from learn python the hard way to find out how to get to your terminal on your computer. No matter what OS it is.
To make sure you have the correct Python version
Go to the terminal (don’t type the ‘$’ sign EVER).
1 — In your terminal type $ python —version
You should get back something like Python 2.7.5
2 — If you get back version 2.whatever check for version 3
In your terminal type $ python3 —version
You should get back Python 3.7.0
If you got 3.7. whatever, YAY you did it.
UPDATE python 3
Use the Terminal for the following steps.
If you are in an environment with Python version 3. whatever, the following command updates Python to the latest version in the 3.whatever branch:
(bear in mind that it will take some time)
❌ But if that returns something like:
OR … (if the above fails the next command will do it)
✅ Now that you have done that you should finally see the following.
�� CONGRATS you finished the UPGRADE! ��
And you did not upgrade to the newest available anaconda 3 then try the next step.
The NEWEST Python 3 is 3.8 HOWEVER …
The installer is only up to 3.7 at the time of this writing. But that is OK for now don’t worry about it.
Congrats reader!
I hope that this short article helped you.
Welcome to a new world of possibilities.
How do I upgrade the Python installation in Windows 10?
I have a Python 2.7.11 installed on one of my LAB stations. I would like to upgrade Python to at least 3.5.
How should I do that ? Should I prefer to completely uninstall 2.7.11 and than install the new one ? Is there a way to update it ? Is an update a good idea ?
10 Answers 10
Every minor version of Python, that is any 3.x and 2.x version, will install side-by-side with other versions on your computer. Only patch versions will upgrade existing installations.
So if you want to keep your installed Python 2.7 around, then just let it and install a new version using the installer. If you want to get rid of Python 2.7, you can uninstall it before or after installing a newer version—there is no difference to this.
How to Upgrade Python to 3.9
Every fresh Python release comes with bug fixes and new features. Python 3.9, the latest point release at the time of writing, comes with features such as improved time zone support, dictionary updates, and more flexible decorators.
This tutorial shows you how to upgrade Python to version 3.9 on all the major operating systems — Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Administrative rights on the operating system you are using.
- Knowledge of which Python version is currently on your system. If you need help finding out the version of your Python installation, check out How to Check Python Version.
Note: If you are upgrading from a Python 2 release and do not have Python 3 installed, read our comprehensive guides on how to install it on:
Upgrading Python on Windows OS
To upgrade Python on Windows, download the installer or search for the app in the Microsoft Store.
Upgrade to Python 3 with the Installer
1. In your browser, visit the Python Releases for Windows section on the official Python website.
2. Click the Download Python button to download the installation file on your computer.
3. Next, run the Python installer. If you are upgrading from another point release of Python 3 (for example, 3.8.10), the installer suggests to install Python 3.9. Select Install Now to install Python with recommended options, or select Customize Installation to pick the install location and features.
If you already have an older version of the same Python release (for example, 3.9.1), the installer offers to upgrade your Python installation. Proceed by selecting Upgrade Now.
4. When the installation finishes, check whether the new version of Python has been installed successfully. Open Windows PowerShell and type:
The output should show the latest version of Python, as in the image below.
Install Python 3.9 from the Microsoft Store
If you want to use Python 3.9 to learn the basics or test some simple concepts, find and install the Python 3.9 app from the Microsoft Store.
1. Go to Microsoft Store and type Python in the search field.
2. Select Python 3.9 from the search results that appear.
3. Click the Get button to start the installation.
Start the interactive Python 3.9 experience by finding the app in the Start Menu.
Upgrading Python on macOS
On macOS, Python can be installed, upgraded, and maintained using the command line interface or the GUI.
Upgrade Python using Homebrew
Install Python in the macOS terminal using the Homebrew package manager. If you do not have Homebrew, install it by typing the following script in the terminal:
Then, proceed with the steps:
1. Update Homebrew by running:
2. If you are upgrading from Python 2, install Python 3 with the command:
If you already have a version of Python 3 installed, upgrade the package with the brew upgrade command:
Upgrade Python with the Installer
1. In your browser, navigate to the Python Releases for macOS page, on Python’s official website.
2. Click the link to download the latest Python 3 release on your computer.
3. Run the installer. Go through the installation steps by clicking Continue, agreeing to the License, and confirming the installation location and type.
4. Once the installation is complete, select Close.
5. Finally, confirm that the new Python version has been successfully installed by typing the following in terminal:
The output should display the latest version of Python.
Upgrading Python in Linux
This article uses Ubuntu and its APT package manager to upgrade Python. If you are using a different Linux distribution, replace the apt Linux command with the appropriate command featured for your package manager.
Warning: Many Linux systems have Python 2 installed as the system version. Removing Python 2 could cause a system error. If you are planning to install Python 3 on Linux, install it alongside Python 2 and invoke it with the python3 command.
1. Start by updating the repositories:
2. Next, install Python 3.9 by running:
When prompted, type Y to start the installation.
3. Once Python installs, invoke the 3.9 version by running:
4. However, checking the installation with the python3 —version command still returns the old version. To fix this, you need to create a list of update alternatives. First, add the old version to the list with the command:
5. Now add the new version:
6. Next, type the following command to configure the priority status of the versions:
The output displays the available choices and their assigned number (in the example below, the numbers are 0, 1, 2). Type the number of the the version you wish to use and press Enter.
7. If you are not planning to use the old version of Python, remove the symlink that contained the previous Python 3 version with:
8. Then, replace the symlink with the new version:
9. Now, check the default version:
The output should confirm the successful installation and setup of the latest available version.
Why Should You Upgrade Python?
Since Python 3 was not a backward-compatible release, for a long time Python 2 remained the version of choice for those who wanted a stable development environment. Some services like Google App Engine did not support Python 3 for a long time.
However, given that the official support for the final Python 2.7 release has ended, upgrading to Python 3 is now strongly recommended. Python 3 is faster, and its syntax is more user-friendly.
If you already work with Python 3, upgrading to the latest point release gives you all the security updates and bug fixes.
After reading this tutorial, you should know how to upgrade your Python 3 version on Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you want to learn more about Python, read our article on Python data types.