Update Python 2.7 to latest version of 2.x

Question

The version of python2 on my Ubuntu 14.04 machine is Python 2.7.6. How can I upgrade it to the the latest version of Python 2.X? The latest is currently 2.7.11.

I have tried apt-get update/upgrade, but the repository doesn't seem to have the latest version.

Solution

Ubuntu 18.04 and newer:

The new version of Ubuntu no longer uses python 2, so you need to install it with:

sudo apt install python-minimal

Ubuntu 17.04 and older:

The answer appears to be to add a third party repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jonathonf/python-2.7
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python2.7
python --version

Comments

[David Foerster]

I'm voting to reopen this question because the answer to the linked question is obsolete while this one is up to date (as far as I can tell). They should either be merged or the duplicate relationship should be reversed.

[Eliah Kagan]

@DavidFoerster Done. We can vote to close that question as a duplicate of this one now, which I've done.

[Morgoth]

@dbliss This is normal practice on stackexhange.

[Eliah Kagan]

I've removed some of my comments so any future comments will more likely be seen, and to reduce distraction from the actual Q&A here. Anyone interested may read them, in context and with continued discussion, in this chat room (transcript). I reiterate, however, that any serious concerns are better discussed--and far more likely to be resolved--on Ask Ubuntu Meta than in comments or chat.

[Igor Pomaranskiy]

Error: 'fkrull/deadsnakes-python2.7' invalid

[Igor Pomaranskiy]

It should be sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fkrull/deadsnakes-python2.7 (you've missed ppa:).

[zhihong]

Thanks. But it works till python 2.7.12, now the latest release is 2.7.13.

[Enrico]

Important The mentioned repository won't receive any further updates.

[giorgiosironi]

It appears this PPA has now been taken offline, launchpad.net/~fkrull/+archive/ubuntu/deadsnakes-python2.7 403

[cmp]

You can use it now from launchpad.net/~deadsnakes/+archive/ubuntu/ppa but it doesn't support 2.7 releases

[Gaia]

seems that jonathonf/python-2.7 doesn't carry the packages for bionic

[Morgoth]

@Gaia, Try sudo apt install python-minimal, it looks like the new way to do it. I has a newer version of python 2.7 than ppa:jonathonf/python-2.7 too.

[Filip Savic]

I am using Ubuntu 14.04. Just did as the answer says for my version (17.04 and older) and I just got Python 2.7.14 which is newest version of python 2 today (15.8.2018.). Thanks! :)

[Moshe Zvi]

Unfortunately, this is no longer working as of May 2020

[Morgoth]

@MosheZvi What version of Ubuntu are you using?