How to Install pyenv Command on Ubuntu

If you are using Ubuntu and trying to work with Python, you may come across the need to manage multiple Python versions. pyenv is a handy tool that allows you to easily switch between different Python versions on your system. However, if you find that the pyenv command is not available on your Ubuntu system, here’s how you can install it.

Step 1: Update Package Index

Before installing pyenv, it’s always a good idea to update the package index to ensure you have the latest information about available packages. You can do this by running the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

To install pyenv on Ubuntu, you will need a few dependencies. You can install them by running the following command:

sudo apt install -y make build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev wget curl llvm libncurses5-dev xz-utils tk-dev libxml2-dev libxmlsec1-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev

Step 3: Clone pyenv Repository

Next, you need to clone the pyenv repository from GitHub. You can do this by running the following command:

git clone https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv.git ~/.pyenv

Step 4: Set up Environment Variables

To use pyenv effectively, you need to add it to your shell’s configuration file. Add the following lines to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc file:

export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init --path)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"

Don’t forget to run source ~/.bashrc or source ~/.zshrc to apply the changes to your current shell session.

Step 5: Verify Installation

To verify that pyenv has been installed successfully, you can run the following command:

pyenv --version

If everything is set up correctly, you should see the version of pyenv installed on your system.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to install the pyenv command on Ubuntu to manage multiple Python versions easily. With pyenv, you can switch between Python versions seamlessly, making it a valuable tool for Python developers. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that pyenv is set up correctly on your Ubuntu system.