In this article, we will have explained the necessary steps for installing and configuring Python 3.9 on CentOS 8. Before continuing with this tutorial, make sure you are logged in as a user with sudo
privileges. All the commands in this tutorial should be run as a non-root user.
Python is a free, open-source, and the most popular programming language around the world. It is a versatile language and is used to construct all kinds of applications. It’s the best choice for beginners due to its simple and easy-to-learn syntax. The Python 3.9 version is the most up-to-date released with various innovations and safety updates.
Prerequisite:
- Operating System with CentOS 8
- Server IPv4 Address with Superuser Privileges (Root Access)
- Gnome Terminal for Linux Desktop
- PuTTy SSH client for Windows or macOS
- Powershell for Windows 10/11
- Familiar with DNF Commands
Install Python 3.9 on CentOS 8
Step 1. The first command will update the package lists to ensure you get the latest version and dependencies.
sudo dnf install epel-release sudo dnf update
Step 2. Install Python Dependencies.
Now, use the following command to install prerequisites for Python before installing it:
sudo dnf install wget yum-utils make gcc openssl-devel bzip2-devel libffi-devel zlib-devel
Step 3. Download the latest Python 3.9 Archive.
Download the latest release source code from the Python download page using wget
a command:
wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.9.1/Python-3.9.1.tgz tar xvf Python-3.9.1.tgz cd Python-3.9.1
Step 4. Install Python 3.9 on the CentOS system.
Run the command below to configure Python installation:
sudo ./configure --enable-optimizations
Initiate compilation of Python 3.9 on CentOS 8:
sudo make altinstall
At this step, you have successfully installed Python 3.9 on CentOS/RHEL system. Now, check the installed versions of Python and PIP:
python3.9 --version
Step 4. Create Virtual Environment.
To create Python virtual environment, run:
sudo /usr/local/bin/python3.9 -m venv /home/rahul/python-app/venv
Next, you can activate the environment by running the command:
source /home/rahul/python-app/venv/bin/activate
That’s all you need to do to install Python on CentOS 8. I hope you find this quick tip helpful. For further reading on Python 3.9, please refer to their official knowledge base. If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.