How to install openCV 2.4.13 for Python 2.7 on Ubuntu 16.04?

Question

I have tried a lot of online posts to install opencv but they are not working for Ubuntu 16.04. May anyone please give me the steps to install openCV 2.4.13 on it?

Answer 1

If you have more than one opencv installation on your machine, now I tell you the most direct, effective and easy way to choose opencv version in python.

You can type the following command to check the current opencv version in python

import cv2
cv2.__version__

opencv path in python is set in system variable PYTHONPATH, you can echo this variable with echo $PYTHONPATH

If I want to use opencv3.x in python, then using vi or gedit open .bashrc in the home folder, add this content to the end

export PYTHONPATH=/home/ismart/ipa2/devel/lib/python2.7/dist-packages:/home/ismart/catkin_ws/install_isolated/lib/python2.7/dist-packages:/usr/local/opencv3.x/lib/python2.7/dist-packages

Replace the path with yours