How to get `python` to run Python 3 in WSL bash?

Question

When I type python into my bash shell (Windows Subsystem for Linux) in Windows 10 Home, I get the following error message:

The program 'python' can be found in the following packages:
 * python-minimal
 * python3
Try: sudo apt install <selected package>

I've tried installing python3 but am told it's already installed and up to date.

I've tried uninstalling python-minimal but am told it's not installed (!)

Why am I seeing two "competing" packages for Python? How can I fix the conflict and configure my WSL bash to run Python 3 from python?

Answer 1

If you're running Ubuntu 20 under WSL, there is a new package called python-is-python3:

cameron@Nook:/mnt/c/Users/camer$ sudo apt install python-is-python3
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  python-is-python3
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 2364 B of archives.
After this operation, 10.2 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 python-is-python3 all 3.8.2-4 [2364 B]
Fetched 2364 B in 0s (7208 B/s)
Selecting previously unselected package python-is-python3.
(Reading database ... 33571 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../python-is-python3_3.8.2-4_all.deb ...
Unpacking python-is-python3 (3.8.2-4) ...
Setting up python-is-python3 (3.8.2-4) ...
cameron@Nook:/mnt/c/Users/camer$ python --version
Python 3.8.10

Alternatively, you could use update-alternatives:

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python $(readlink -f $(which python3)) 3

Answer 2

python in linux world as a CLI command almost always means python2 and not python3. Make sure that you have python2 installed (sudo apt install python).

DO NOT alias python to python3 - this is some bad advice!

To run python3, you have to specify python3 on the CLI.