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When to use python3

When to use python3

It depends largely on your system and how Python is set up:

On older systems:

  • python might refer to Python 2.x.
  • python3 is explicitly Python 3.x.

On newer systems (like recent Linux distributions):

  • python3 is the standard command for Python 3.
  • python may be absent, or may point to Python 3, but this can vary by distribution or your local setup.

Best practice:

  • If you want to ensure you’re running Python 3 (especially when Python 2 might still be present), always use python3.
  • If you know your system’s python command is set to Python 3 (for example, through tools like pyenv or a recent distro that defaults python to Python 3), then using python alone is fine.

In short, to avoid ambiguity, python3 is safer for guaranteeing Python 3, while python might be Python 2 or Python 3 depending on how your system is configured.