How do I reinstall Python 3?

Question

I cannot get pip to work and I think that reinstalling python 3.7 might help. When I try 'sudo apt install --reinstall python3' I get an error saying there are unmet dependencies. If I specify it to be python3.7 it can't locate the package.

• Dmitry Grigoryev: Are "unmet dependencies" packages that python3 depends on, or packages which depend on python3?
• CoderMike: What error do you get if you try to use pip or pip3?
• Firestarter: yeah it says something with LibreOffice. I'm fine if that's messed up though I don't use it
• Dougie: This isn't the way to solve a PIP problem. You're turning it into an X-Y problem. Post a new question with the errors you get from PIP rather than your hare-brained idea to attempt to re-install Python. (Which won't work and will destroy your system).

Answer 1

sudo apt-get purge python3

sudo apt-get install python3

might do the trick :)

• Ingo: Doing sudo apt update is also a good idea before reinstall.
• goldilocks: Someone has reported this can do very nasty things on a current (2022) install, which makes sense if various important components (apparently including critical parts of the desktop) have migrated from python 2 to 3.