Add python to Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) [ubuntu]

add_python_to_WINDOWS_WSL_ubuntu.md

Install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) [ubuntu]

Follow this guide to install WSL:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10

Prepare WSL (ubuntu)

0. Get your build tools and python required libraries installed:

   See: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8097161/how-would-i-build-python-myself-from-source-code-on-ubuntu/31492697

   sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y build-essential git libexpat1-dev libssl-dev zlib1g-dev \
   libncurses5-dev libbz2-dev liblzma-dev \
   libsqlite3-dev libffi-dev tcl-dev linux-headers-generic libgdbm-dev \
   libreadline-dev tk tk-dev
   

1. Install pyenv (which will install python):

   See: https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv-installer

   curl https://pyenv.run | bash
   

2. After install, it tells you to add the following to your ~/.bashrc file, go do that:

   # Load pyenv automatically by adding
   # the following to ~/.bashrc:
   
   export PATH="$HOME/.pyenv/bin:$PATH"
   eval "$(pyenv init -)"
   eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"
   
   

3. Install the latest 'common' versions of python through pyenv:

   # list available python versions
   # pyenv install --list
   pyenv install 3.6.8
   pyenv install 3.7.2
   

4. Install/Upgrade base libraries into both versions of python:

   pyenv global 3.6.8
   pip install pip --upgrade
   pip install pipenv
   
   pyenv global 3.7.2
   pip install pip --upgrade
   pip install pipenv
   

-- Go to work!

I had an issue trying to install python through pyenv install --list

zsh: command not found: pyenv

I changed my ~/.zshrc from:

export PATH="~/.pyenv/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"

To

export PATH="$HOME/.pyenv/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"

Original thread: pyenv/pyenv-virtualenv#233 (comment)