[NFBCS] Updating Python3 Installation

Wed Feb 19 00:38:05 UTC 2025

It's generally not recommended to try to "upgrade" Python in Ubuntu or any
Linux distro. I don't know if it would really break anything, but the
distro ships with a ton of python scripts that are all verified to work
with the installed version. Some of them are critical, so you just don't
chance it.

What you can do is simply install it using apt. I don't know the reason the
"make" instructions are failing since I've never had a need to build it
from source. I just install it:

  sudo apt install python3.13

This will install python3.13 alongside python3.12. To run using the latest
version, you type:

  python3.13

To see what you have installed, you can type

  ls -l /usr/bin/python*

It will show that python3 is "linked" to python3.12 ( (I assume...I'm still
on 22.04). Just leave it that way.

If you want to have environments where 3.13 is "default", then look into
using virtual environments. https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html

You can run something like:

   python3.13 -m venv ~/thirteen

This creates a virtual environment in your home directory called
"thirteen". You then "activate" it by typing:

  source ~/thirteen/bin/activate

Then for the duration of that terminal session, you'll be running the
latest version. It's also totally isolated from the core installation, so
you don't run the risk of fouling up your OS install by installing or
upgrading a package that breaks some odd dependency.

Hope this helps. No answer for you on the screen reader as I too still
retain a small amount of vision.

On Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM Alan K. Martinez via NFBCS <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> If this is not the appropriate place to ask for this type of help
> please let me know and disregard my message... but I need some help...
>
>
>
>
> I had to re-image my desktop setup from the ground up.
>
> I just finished a fresh installation of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.  I feel I'm
> still a little new to Linux but after the last 2 years of making it my
> daily driver I learned a lot so I'm more comfortable doing things.  I
> just need to know where to go to get things done.  Sometimes doing
> Google searches gets a little complicated especially when a situation
> doesn't quite match the search results and suggestions.
>
> Right now the currently installed version of Python is 3.12.3.
>
> I wanted to update it to the most current available on python.org which
> is 3.13.3.  I understand that it's just an x.01.x revission difference
> but my pseudo self diagnosed OCD wants it to be as current as possible
> whenever I can update.  Please don't bash me for this...
>
> I downloaded the update .tar and started the installation.  I managed
> to install 'make' and 'gcc' updates.
>
> AFter I run ./conigure and make from the command line it all seems to
> go well until the end where I get the following information:
>
>
> The necessary bits to build these optional modules were not found:
> _bz2                      _ctypes                   _ctypes_test
> _curses                   _curses_panel             _dbm
> _gdbm                     _hashlib                  _lzma
> _ssl                      _tkinter                  _uuid
> readline                  zlib
> To find the necessary bits, look in configure.ac and config.log.
>
> Could not build the ssl module!
> Python requires a OpenSSL 1.1.1 or newer
>
> Checked 112 modules (33 built-in, 63 shared, 1 n/a on linux-x86_64, 1
> disabled, 14 missing, 0 failed on import)
>
>
>
> The information that concerns me is the Python requires a OpenSSL 1.1.1
> or newer.  When I checked I HAVE a newer version with 3.0.13 from Jan
> 2024.
>
> Why does it not recognize OpenSSL as a newer version?
>
> Also the part about the necessary bits to build, will it find them
> after I get the OpenSSL resolved?  If not, can someone suggest how to
> get them installed?
>
> I know this is Linux and not everyone is knowledgeable or comfortable
> and this might be more of a tech support issue with Linux first but I
> thought I'd come here first since this is for Python and it might help
> others out in the future.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alan
>
>
> P.S.  On a separate subject because I'm curious.
> I still have some useable vision and I use it as much as possible so I
> don't have or uses a screen reader on my desktop.  In the world of the
> internet and texting all caps denotes an emphasized emotion or yelling.
> How does that get translated with screen readers or to people with no
> vision at all?  Just curious...
>
>
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