How to Install Python 3.8 Beta in Ubuntu 18.04, 16.04

The second Beta of the latest Python 3.8 was released a few days ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 16.04 via PPA.

Python 3.8 new features so far include:

• New syntax (the “walrus operator”, :=) to assign values to variables as part of an expression.
• new syntax (/) to indicate that some function parameters must be specified positionally
• Parallel filesystem cache for compiled bytecode files
• Debug build uses the same ABI as release build
• f-strings now support = for quick and easy debugging
• new C API to configure the Python Initialization
• Added the “vectorcall” protocol to the Python/C API.
• Pickle protocol 5 with out-of-band data buffers

How to Install Python 3.8 in Ubuntu:

The deadsnakes team PPA is maintaining most recent packages for current two Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

[ac-box style=”alert”]Disclaimer: If you want to use the package in a security-or-otherwise-critical environment (say, on a production server) , you do so at your own risk![/ac-box]

1. Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa

Type user password when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2. Then check updates and install Python 3.8 via 2 commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install python3.8

Once installed, check via command python3.8 --version

Uninstall:

You can run command in terminal to purge the PPA which also remove the installed 3.8 packages:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:deadsnakes/ppa