System-wide installation of Python is the most popular way to install Python. In fact, the operating system you use probably came with a pre-installed, global installation of Python since many OS’s make use of Python for various routines. https://www.activestate.com/blog/how-to-manage-python-environments-global-vs-virtual/">https://www.activestate.com/blog/how-...

If you only work with your original installation of Python, the rest of this thread may not apply to you. But most of us have had to upgrade to a newer version of Python at some point.

Of course, since we’re busy, we install first & ask questions later!
- Why do I need to fix the ‘/usr/bin/python’ symlink before I can even do the install?
- Why am I still working with the old version of Python after installing a newer one?
- Why is this package now “not found?”

It’s not Python itself that’s the problem, but rather the third party packages you use to build your applications. Most developers install these packages with pip, which downloads them from PyPi and installs them locally into your /site-packages directory.

Even after three decades, it’s still all too easy to screw up your Python installation despite – and in some cases because of – multiple solutions being created to help. https://xkcd.com/1987/ ">https://xkcd.com/1987/&quo...

One way to avoid global Python environment corruption is to avoid global installations in the first place. That’s where virtual environments come in. https://www.activestate.com/blog/how-to-manage-python-environments-global-vs-virtual/">https://www.activestate.com/blog/how-...