For installing and managing several Python versions, Pyenv is an excellent tool. It keeps the system tidy and clear of unused package bloat and enables developers to access newer versions of Python easily. Additionally, it allows users to specify the Python version that a particular project uses and immediately transition to that version.

The following steps will work both on X86_64 and ARM64 machines.

Step 1: Install and Update Dependencies

Starting any installation process by updating system packages is usually a good idea:

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sudo apt update -y

Now run the following command to install all of pyenv’s dependencies:

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sudo apt install -y make build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev wget curl llvm libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev xz-utils tk-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev python-openssl git

Step 2: Download the Pyenv script in Ubuntu

Download the Pyenv script using the following command:

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curl https://pyenv.run | bash

Step 3: Set the Environment Up

Run the following block of commands to set certain crucial environment variables and set up pyenv autocompletion to correctly configure pyenv for use on the system:

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echo 'export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo '[[ -d $PYENV_ROOT/bin ]] && export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'eval "$(pyenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc

Now restart the shell or open a new shell.

Step 4: Look over the Installation

Check what Python versions are currently available:

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pyenv install --list

Let’s install Python 3.11.13:

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pyenv install 3.11.13

If this command takes a while to execute, do not be alarmed. Pyenv is building it from the source code. Once that is done check if it is installed:

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pyenv versions

Change Python to version 3.11.13:

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pyenv global 3.11.13

Now check the Python version and where it is located:

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python --version
which python