Changing python interpreter for emacs

Question

Emacs uses an older version of python(2.3) i have for the default python mode, is there a way for me to tell emacs to use the newer version that i have in my home directory?

btw I'm using a red hat distro and dont have root privileges.

Solution 1

It is good habit to check customize-group of things you wanna tweak. Just do:

M-x customize-group RET python RET

you've got now multiple options of which one should be interesting:

Python Python Command

You can customize it there and Save for further sessions.

Solution 2

Via .emacs:

Try to add to your ~/.emacs file:

(setq python-python-command "~/your/python/bin-dir/python")

or

Via the shell environment:

The python command that is run by Emacs is typically python, so you can try the simple approach of changing your path:

export PATH=~/your/python/bin-dir:$PATH

Solution 3

python-python-command is for the older "loveshack python.el". For recent versions of Emacs, which use "gallina python.el", use the variable python-shell-interpreter.

(setq python-shell-interpreter "/path/to/python")

https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/PythonProgrammingInEmacs#toc2

Comments

[mlt]

Is there a way to switch dynamically? Like I have several python projects using different interpreters. It would be nice if there is an association possible between buffer and particular interpreter via local variable or something.

[Bleeding Fingers]

@mit did you find an answer to that? I have been ferreting the internet for an answer but in vain. Although I know its quite possible through comint or babel and adding hooks, but the process seem quite convoluted and I have almost no experience in Lisp programming

[PascalVKooten]

This is the real answer. I just switched python to python3 and all my problems were immediately solved. Also found out the switch to turn on eldoc. Thanks!

[Philippe]

finally! Had been stumbling upon all these setq python-python-command suggestions that don't work. This is it. @sam, if it worked for you, you should accept the answer and mark it as solved

[Philippe]

on my other pc i had to find the "Python Shell Interpreter" line and change it

[agent18]

Doesn't work by adding to ~/.emacs.d/init.el file. Still opens the old interpreter when I say `M-x run-python'

[jpkotta]

python-python-command is for "loveshack python.el", which was the python mode that shipped with older emacs versions. "Gallina python.el" is the one that's in current versions. Use python-shell-interpreter instead. emacswiki.org/emacs/PythonProgrammingInEmacs#toc2

[agent18]

The above didn't work for me in Emacs 27. Refer here for more information.

[scry]

This seems to have changed in a recent (25?) version of Emacs as @Philippe noticed

[Lester Cheung]

Or add a per-file variable: # -*- python-shell-interpreter: "python3" -*-

[Lester Cheung]

@mit look up file-variables but basically add something like this at first few lines of your main script # -*- python-shell-interpreter: "python3" -*- .