Start IDLE with Python 3 on Linux (Python 2.7 installed alongside)

Question

I initially had Python 2.7, which often comes bundled with the OS (currently using Linux Mint 12). I wanted to try Python 3, so I installed it alongside Python 2. All is fine there, and I can run both versions in the terminal by calling either python or python3.

However, there doesn’t seem to be any way to start IDLE with Python 3. Is there some flag that I can pass to IDLE when I start it so that I can pick which version of Python I would like it to run?

E.g. (these don't work), idle3 or idle --shell=python3 or something like that. I read about pointing to a different executable in this question about IDLE for Python 3 (on Vista). However, I can't seem to do the analogous thing on Linux.

score 13 · Answer 1 · edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:26

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Just type sudo apt-get install idle3 in your terminal and IDLE for your version of Python 3 previously installed will be installed.

Then both are compatible. You run the 2.7 IDLE from your terminal by just typing idle. And you run the IDLE 3 version by just typing idle3 in the terminal. That worked for me.

edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:26

Peter Mortensen

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answered Jan 03 '13 at 02:46

user1944489

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Short and sweet. It worked! Though the resulting executable for Python 3 using `sudo apt-get install idle3` was not `idle3`, but `idle` (at least on [Ubuntu 18.04](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_version_history#Ubuntu_18.04_LTS_.28Bionic_Beaver.29) (Bionic Beaver)). It launched as IDLE 3.6.9 (Python 3.6.9), *"Python 3.6.9 Shell"*. It didn't install an executable by the name `idle3`: *"Command 'idle3' not found"* – Peter Mortensen Feb 23 '23 at 07:26

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 08 '12 at 02:24

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You'd have to install the appropriate package - Python 2.x and 3.x aren't compatible with each other.

You can find the link here.

answered Aug 08 '12 at 02:24

Makoto

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Thank you for that. I found the exectubale for idle in `/usr/bin`, one called `idle`, and another called `idle-python2.7`. So I tried `sudo apt-get install idle-python3.2`, and guess what? Problem solved! – Samuel Tan Aug 08 '12 at 02:58

score 3 · Answer 3 · edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:33

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I had to install python3-tools to get idle3 (using Fedora 18).

edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:33

Peter Mortensen

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answered Jul 09 '13 at 16:20

Christy

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Works on Fedora 17 also. – tinkerbeast Feb 16 '14 at 05:38

score 2 · Answer 4 · edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:28

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I installed IDLE using the following command:

sudo yum install python-tools.x86_64

And I can run both commands, and it gives me a Python 2 or Python 3 shell, respectively:

idle
idle3

edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:28

Peter Mortensen

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answered Apr 23 '13 at 23:49

iiiir.com

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score 1 · Answer 5 · edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:32

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Christy said:

"I had to install python3-tools to get idle3 (using Fedora 18)."

sudo yum install python3-tools

This also works on Fedora 19.

edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:32

Peter Mortensen

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answered Sep 09 '13 at 17:54

user1253075

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score 0 · Answer 6 · edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:38

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In the case of Python 2, you can install it by running this command:

sudo apt-get install idle

And in the case of Python 3 you can install it by running this command:

sudo apt-get install idle3

This works fine for me.

edited Feb 23 '23 at 07:38

Peter Mortensen

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answered Jul 21 '18 at 03:04

Sandeep Prasad Kushwaha

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Re *"This works fine for me."*: On what system? Linux? What distribution?`[Ubuntu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_%28operating_system%29)? What version? – Peter Mortensen Feb 23 '23 at 07:39

Start IDLE with Python 3 on Linux (Python 2.7 installed alongside)

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