Changing default python to another version

Question

Currently when I use \"python\" command, it points to python2.6. I have installed python3.1 and I want the \"python\" command point to python3.1. How it is possible?

Answer 1

Since you have Linux, and if you want to simply type "python" instead of "python3" in order to run Python programs, a solution is simply to define an alias in you shell configuration file (.bashrc, etc.). For Bourne shells, it should be something like

alias python=python3

(or whatever your Python 3 name is).

This way, you do not have to change anything on your system, so this solution should quite innocuous and it should not break your system.