How to Resolve Python Command Not Found Error in Linux

Python is a powerful programming language commonly used for various tasks, ranging from scripting to web development and data analysis. However, when working with Python on a Linux system, you may encounter the frustrating "Python command not found" error. This error occurs when the system cannot locate the Python interpreter, preventing you from running Python scripts or accessing the Python REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop).

In this article, we'll explore various scenarios that can lead to this error and provide step-by-step solutions to resolve it.

Verify Python Installation

The first step in resolving the "Python command not found" error is to verify whether Python is installed on your system. Open a terminal and execute the following command:

python --version

If Python is installed, this command will display the installed Python version. If you see an error message such as "command not found," it indicates that Python is not installed or is not accessible from the current shell session.

Check the PATH Environment Variable

In Linux, the Python interpreter is typically installed in the '/usr/bin' directory. To ensure that the Python executable is included in the system's PATH environment variable, execute the following command:

echo $PATH

If '/usr/bin' is not included in the output, you need to add it to the PATH variable. You can do this by modifying your shell configuration file (e.g.,'.bashrc', '.bash_profile', '.zshrc', etc.) and appending the following line:

export PATH="/usr/bin:$PATH"

After making the changes, reload the shell configuration file by running:

source ~/.bashrc

How to Resolve Python Command Not Found Error in Linux

Here is the most common error that users face when they try to run python command , or python3 command.

Install Python to avoid Python Command Not Found Error in Linux

If Python is not installed on your system, you can install it using your distribution's package manager. For example, on Debian-based systems like Ubuntu, you can use the following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3

Note: If you are unable to install python from command line, so you have to download it manually from official site.

Click on "Download Python 3.12.2". Open Command Line and go to the downloads folder, where you will find "Python-3.12.2.tar.xz"

Then we have to download the "Python-3.12.2" file. For this we have to enter the "Python-3.12.2" directory

cd Python-3.12.2

Run the configuration script, optionally specifying installation location (e.g., use /usr/local to avoid system-wide conflicts)

./configure --enable-optimizations --prefix=/usr/local

Build Python

make -j $(nproc)  # Use all available cores

Install Python

sudo make altinstall  # Install without overwriting system Python

Verify Python

python3.12 --version

Install Python From Terminal in linux

To install Python on Linux from the terminal, you can use the package manager specific to your distribution. Here are the commands for some popular distributions:

Installing in Ubuntu/Debain:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3

Installing in Fedora:

sudo dnf install python3

Installing in CentOS:

sudo yum install python3

Installing in Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S python

Replace python3 with python in the commands if you specifically need Python 2.

Note: Python 2 is no longer supported and you should use Python 3 for new projects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, resolving the "Python Command Not Found" error in Linux involves checking whether Python is installed, verifying the Python executable's path in the system's PATH variable, and installing Python if necessary. By following these steps and users can effectively address the error and ensure Python is correctly configured on their Linux system.