Update Python 2.7 to Latest Version on Ubuntu 14.04

14.04package-managementpythonrepository

The version of python2 on my Ubuntu 14.04 machine is Python 2.7.6. How can I upgrade it to the the latest version of Python 2.X? The latest is currently 2.7.11.

I have tried apt-get update/upgrade, but the repository doesn't seem to have the latest version.

Best Answer

Ubuntu 18.04 and newer:

The new version of Ubuntu no longer uses python 2, so you need to install it with:

sudo apt install python-minimal

Ubuntu 17.04 and older:

The answer appears to be to add a third party repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jonathonf/python-2.7
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python2.7
python --version

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – Can Python 2 be safely removed from Ubuntu 14.04

14.04 does have python 2.
You cannot remove python 2 without removing all the packages that depend on python 2. That is probably more than 50%.

Have a look at this list:

  The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:

  accountsservice-ubuntu-schemas accountsservice-ubuntu-touch-schemas
  gnome-control-center-data gnome-settings-daemon
  gsettings-ubuntu-touch-schemas indicator-network libappindicator1
  libbit-vector-perl libbonobo2-0 libbonobo2-common libbonoboui2-common
  libcarp-clan-perl libclass-data-inheritable-perl
  libclass-method-modifiers-perl libcommon-sense-perl
  libcrypt-openssl-bignum-perl libcrypt-openssl-rsa-perl libdata-random-perl
  libdate-calc-perl libdate-calc-xs-perl libextutils-depends-perl
  libextutils-pkgconfig-perl libfile-which-perl libgd-perl libglade2-0
  libgnome2-canvas-perl libgnome2-gconf-perl libgnome2-wnck-perl
  libgnomecanvas2-0 libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomeui-common
  libgoa-backend-1.0-1 libgoo-canvas-perl libgoocanvas-common libgoocanvas3
  libgtk2-appindicator-perl libgtk2-imageview-perl libgtk2-unique-perl
  libgtkimageview0 libhttp-server-simple-perl libidl-common libidl0
  libindicator7 libjson-perl libjson-xs-perl libkeybinder0 libmouse-perl
  libnet-dbus-perl libnet-dropbox-api-perl libnet-oauth-perl libofono-qt1
  libonline-accounts-client1 liborbit-2-0 liborbit2 libpath-class-perl
  libproc-processtable-perl libproc-simple-perl libqgsttools-p1
  libqt5multimedia5-plugins libqt5multimediaquick-p5 libqt5multimediawidgets5
  libqt5systeminfo5 libsort-naturally-perl libsystemsettings1
  libtie-ixhash-perl libubuntu-download-manager-client0
  libubuntu-download-manager-common0 libubuntu-download-manager-priv0
  libubuntuoneauth-2.0-0 libunique-1.0-0 libwww-mechanize-perl
  libx11-protocol-perl libxml-twig-perl libxml-xpathengine-perl
  linux-headers-3.13.0-18 linux-headers-3.13.0-18-generic
  linux-image-3.13.0-18-generic linux-image-extra-3.13.0-18-generic
  packagekit-tools perlmagick python3-gnupg
  qtdeclarative5-folderlistmodel-plugin qtdeclarative5-qtmultimedia-plugin
  qtdeclarative5-systeminfo-plugin qtdeclarative5-ubuntuone1.0 suru-icon-theme
  system-image-common system-image-dbus ubuntu-download-manager
  ubuntu-keyboard-data ubuntu-mobile-icons ubuntu-purchase-service
  ubuntu-touch-sounds ubuntuone-credentials-common

  ...

  The following packages will be REMOVED:
  aisleriot apt-xapian-index apturl checkbox-gui compiz compiz-gnome
  compizconfig-settings-manager deja-dup deja-dup-backend-gvfs
  deja-dup-backend-ubuntuone duplicity flashplugin-installer gconf2 gedit
  gnome-terminal gnome-terminal-data gnome-user-share gvfs-backends hplip
  hplip-data ibus ibus-pinyin ibus-table indicator-bluetooth
  landscape-client-ui-install libbonoboui2-0 libgnome2-0 libgnome2-bin
  libgnome2-common libgnome2-perl libgnome2-vfs-perl libgnomeui-0
  libgnomevfs2-0 libgnomevfs2-common libgnomevfs2-extra libpurple-bin
  libreoffice-gnome libsmbclient nautilus-share oneconf oneconf-common
  plainbox-provider-checkbox printer-driver-postscript-hp
  printer-driver-sag-gdi pybootchartgui python python-apt python-aptdaemon
  python-aptdaemon.gtk3widgets python-cairo python-chardet python-colorama
  python-commandnotfound python-compizconfig python-configglue python-crypto
  python-cssselect python-cups python-cupshelpers python-dbus python-debian
  python-debtagshw python-defer python-dirspec python-distlib python-gconf
  python-gdbm python-gi python-gi-cairo python-glade2 python-gnomekeyring
  python-gobject python-gobject-2 python-gtk2 python-html5lib python-httplib2
  python-ibus python-imaging python-keybinder python-ldb python-libxml2
  python-lockfile python-lxml python-notify python-ntdb python-oauthlib
  python-oneconf python-openssl python-pam python-pexpect python-pil
  python-pip python-piston-mini-client python-pkg-resources python-protobuf
  python-pycurl python-pyinotify python-pyquery python-qt4 python-qt4-dbus
  python-renderpm python-reportlab python-reportlab-accel python-requests
  python-samba python-serial python-setuptools python-sip python-six
  python-smbc python-support python-talloc python-tdb python-twisted-bin
  python-twisted-core python-twisted-names python-twisted-web
  python-ubuntu-sso-client python-ubuntuone-client
  python-ubuntuone-control-panel python-ubuntuone-storageprotocol
  python-urllib3 python-webob python-xapian python-xdg python-zeitgeist
  python-zope.interface python3-oneconf rhythmbox rhythmbox-mozilla
  rhythmbox-plugin-cdrecorder rhythmbox-plugin-magnatune
  rhythmbox-plugin-zeitgeist rhythmbox-plugins rhythmbox-ubuntuone
  samba-common-bin samba-libs sessioninstaller shutter smbclient
  software-center software-center-aptdaemon-plugins streamtuner2
  system-config-printer-common system-config-printer-gnome
  system-config-printer-udev totem totem-mozilla totem-plugins
  transmission-gtk ubuntu-desktop ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk
  ubuntu-sso-client ubuntu-sso-client-qt ubuntu-system-service
  ubuntuone-client ubuntuone-control-panel unity unity-control-center
  unity-control-center-signon unity-tweak-tool unity-webapps-common
  update-manager update-notifier update-notifier-common
  webaccounts-extension-common xdiagnose xul-ext-webaccounts zeitgeist

  ...

  0 upgraded, 71 newly installed, 169 to remove and 4 not upgraded.

Let's say you remove python2.7. This will restore the desktop:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop

Python – Install Packages for Specific Python Version

Use apt-file to find out the package name. For example if you want to install the right version of reportlab use:

apt-file -l search reportlab

On my system this produces:

gambas3-gb-report
python-mvpa2
python-pdfrw
python-pisa
python-renderpm
python-renderpm-dbg
python-reportlab
python-reportlab-accel
python-reportlab-accel-dbg
python-reportlab-doc
python3-renderpm
python3-renderpm-dbg
python3-reportlab
python3-reportlab-accel
python3-reportlab-accel-dbg

It is fair to assume that package python-reportlab is the 2.7 version and package python3-reportlab is the python 3.x version. If however you want to check that further you can use dpkg -L python-reportlab — this will list the package contents and you will see that the files are in /usr/lib/python2.7.

Unfortunately the dpkg -L works only on installed packages so if you want to check it before you install the package you will have to use the Ubuntu packages web interface. Once you open a package details page you can click on list of files and find out whether the files are in /usr/lib/python2.7 or in /usr/lib/python3.