How to Install Python and Set up a Virtual Environment on Linux (Step-by-Step Guide)

In the previous tutorial, we covered how to secure ssh access and in this tutorial, we are covering the following points 

1.    What is Python?

2.    What is Virtual Environment?

3.    How to Install Python

4.    How to Create a Virtual Environment for Python

What is Python?

Python is a versatile, very high-level programming language known for its rich, extensive libraries and readability. Python code is executed line by line by an interpreter and making it easy to develop and debug. Python relies on object-oriented programming and makes code and its implementation easily organized. Now Python is used in a vast range of applications as web development, Artificial Intelligence, data analysis and many more. Python supports a large collection of libraries, frameworks and is a powerful tool for lot of tasks. Python syntax is clear and easy to understand for beginners.

Python creates virtual environments to avoid conflicts between projects regarding dependencies and libraries. For simple and basic nature of software development is for Python to managing libraries and dependencies. But for complex software projects such as an API, software development kit multiple files, dependencies and packages are required and it is difficult to maintain big development projects without isolation.

What is Virtual Environment?

A Python virtual environment is an isolated space where you work independently on a specific project without affecting other projects. It is a tool that helps to work on different versions of Python in different projects without any conflicts and the system Python which is installed as a package at the time of operating system installation. Multiple virtual environments can be created for multiple projects and every environment has its own pip to install libraries, a library folder and an interpreter for the Python version to activate the environment.

Benefits

With this virtual environment your projects isolate themselves from other projects. These environments reside within these projects and does not interfere with other virtual environments and system system-installed Python.

Multiple virtual environments can be created for different Python versions without any conflicts. You can download different packages easily in these environments according to your requirement without admin privileges.

You can replicate your application with others and easily manage your application.

How to install Python

Mostly Python is installed on a newly installed operating system as part of it. Sometimes you need to install a specific version for your needs so the apt package manager is used to install Python. First you need to update the system with the sudo apt update command then sudo apt install python3.x where x is the minor version of Python. You can also install pip for Python package management.

In this tutorial, we will install Python on Ubuntu 25.04 Server

Prerequisites

•        A system running Ubuntu (current version 25.04)
•        A user with sudo Access or Root Privileges
•        A Terminal Access

Check if Python is installed on this system or not

Before the installation of Python, check whether it is already installed on the Ubuntu server; for this run the following command.

#python3 or python3 --version

If Python is installed, the Output will show Python version, license and help for more information otherwise error message as bash: python3 command not found.

Installation of Python on Ubuntu Server

Different methods to install Python on an Ubuntu server.

•       Use APT: the most common method to install Python from the Ubuntu repository
•       From source code: download the latest version of Python from the official Python website and install
•        Use PPA: use third third-party repository deadsnakes to install Python

Method 1: Install Python using APT

This method is easy to install Python by using the apt package manager and the Ubuntu default repository.

Step 1: Update the package Repository

To get the latest version of Python, update the package repository first. To update the package repository, run the following command

#sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Python 

The package information repository is updated and now install the latest version of Python 3.13.3 by the command

# sudo apt install python3.13

Step 3: Installation verification

Verify the installation is successful by using python3 --version.

Method 2: Python Installation from Source Code

First, download the latest version of the Python source code from the official website and compile it. This is a little complicated but following the right steps is not too difficult.

Step 1: Update the repository

Update the local repositories

#sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Supporting Libraries

Additional libraries are required to compile the source code. Run following command to install these libraries.

#sudo apt install build-essential zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libgdbm-dev libnss3-dev libssl-dev libreadline-dev libffi-dev wget

Step 3: Download the latest version of the Python Source Code

Download the source code from the official website of Python in /opt directory. This is your choice as you use /tmp directory for this purpose or any directory of your choice.

#cd /opt

Now navigate to https://www.python.org/downloads/source/ and select the latest version of Python to download in gzipped format.

Use the wget command to download the selected Python source code to the installation destination which is /opt.

#cd /opt

#sudo wget  https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.13.5/Python-3.13.5.tgz

Step 4: Extract the Source code

To extract the downloaded source code, run the following command

#sudo tar –xvf python-3.13.5.tgz

Replace the version number with your downloaded version before running the command.

Step 5: Configure Python

Switch to the directory that is extracted and run the configure command

#cd Python3.13.5

#sudo./configure –enable-optimizations

The ./configure command prepares and evaluates the Python installation and optimizes the speed of the code execution by enabling the optimization option.

Step 6: Install Python

If the configure command is successful then run the sudo make install command to install Python.

#sudo make install

Step 7: Verify Installation

Verify the installation of Python by the command ./python.

#./python

Method 3: Installation of Python by PPA

PPA (Personal Package Archive) is a third-party repository in Ubuntu that provides access to new versions of software that aren’t included in standard repositories.

Step 1: Update the Repository

In the terminal run the following command to update the system.

#sudo apt update

Step 2: Install supported software

The software-properties-common helps the package manager to add PPA repositories. Run the following command.

#sudo apt install software-properties-common

Step 3: Add Deadsnakes PPA

Add deadsnakes PPA to the repository with the following command.

#sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa

Once again, update the system after adding the repository.

#sudo apt update

Step 4: Install Python

The ppa repository has old versions in their database, you just specify the version that you want to install.

#sudo apt install python3.13

Step 5: Verify the Installation

Verify installation by running

#python3 --version

How to Create a Virtual Environment for Python

Above we explained what a virtual environment of Python is, its importance and benefits. Now we will install the virtual environment if it is already not installed then create a virtual environment and test it by installing some packages in this environment.

Step 1: Install Virtualenv

Before installing a virtualenv, make sure Python is installed on your system or not. In case of not installed, follow any of the above methods to install it. To check, run the following command

#python3 --version or python3 -v

Next install virtualenv by running the following commands. First run

# sudo   apt  update 

The purpose of running this command is to apply the currently available updates. Now run the sudo apt install python3-virtualenv command.

#sudo apt install python3-virtualenv

You can install virtualenv using pip install virtualenv to the latest version of virtualenv as an alternate method.

Step 2: Create a New   Virtual Environment

The virtualenv is installed, now you can create a new virtual environment in your desired directory. Just navigate to the directory where you want to create your environment with this command.

I am going to create this environment in the /opt directory as the purpose of this directory is to manage such kind of operations easily.

#cd /opt

Now create a virtual environment with this command

#sudo virtualenv myApp01

Next is to activate this virtual environment with the following command.

#source virtualenv myApp01

As you can see the arrow indicating myapp01 means your virtual environment is created and ready to work in it.

Step 3: Testing of a Virtual Environment

Now it is ready to work, we install some packages of Python. To install React, run

#pip install react

Note: Ownership is important to keep in mind when creating a virtual environment; otherwise, an error will occur during package installation due to permission denied. In such a case, give ownership of the current user to the virtual environment with the chown command.

#chown –R user:user your virtual_environment.

Step 4: Check installed Packages

To see the list of installed packages, run this command.

#pip3 list

Step5 Deactivate Virtual Environment

To deactivate the environment just run the command deactivate.

#deactivate

That’s all from this tutorial. Keep visiting SeekLinux for more updates and information.