How to Install Python 3.10 on Rocky Linux

The free and open-source programming language Python is one of the most popular high-level languages and object-oriented applications. Generally, it is used in automation, scripting, data analysis, machine learning, back-end development, handling big data, and performing complex mathematics. Due to its versatile features, it is a popular choice for both beginners and experienced developers. At the time of writing this article, Python 3.10 is the latest version of Python.

In this post, we will show you how to install Python 3.10 on Rocky Linux. This procedure is compatible with Rocky Linux 8 and Rocky Linux 9.

Step 1 – Install Required Dependencies

First, you will need to install some dependencies required to compile Python 3.10. You can install all of them by running the following command:

dnf install tar curl gcc openssl-devel bzip2-devel libffi-devel zlib-devel wget make -y

Once all the dependencies are installed, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 2 – Install Python 3.10 on Rocky Linux

First, go to the Python official download page and download the latest version of Python using the following command:

wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.10.0/Python-3.10.0.tar.xz

Once the download is completed, extract the downloaded file using the following command:

tar -xf Python-3.10.0.tar.xz

Next, change the directory to the extracted directory and configure Python using the following command:

cd Python-3.10.0
./configure --enable-optimizations

Next, start the build process using the following command:

make -j 2
nproc

Finally, install Python 3.10 by running the following command:

make altinstall

After the successful installation, verify the Python installation using the following command:

python3.10 --version

You will get the following output:

Python 3.10.0

Step 3 – Create a Virtual Environment in Python

Python provides a venv module that allows you to create a virtual environment and deploy your application in an isolated environment.

To create a virtual environment named app_env, run the following command:

python3.10 -m venv app_env

Next, activate the virtual environment using the following command:

source app_env/bin/activate

You will get the following shell:

(app_env) [root@RockyLinux8 ~]#

Now, you can use the PIP package manager to install any package and dependencies inside your virtual environment.

For example, run the following command to install apache-airflow:

pip3.10 install apache-airflow

If you want to remove this package, run the command below:

pip3.10 uninstall apache-airflow

To exit from the Python virtual environment, run the following command:

deactivate

Conclusion

In the above guide, we explained how to install Python 3.10 on Rocky Linux 8. You can now start developing your first application using the Python programming language. Try it today on VPS hosting from Atlantic.Net!