How to change the meaning of python and python3 on RHEL

137 · Red Hat · Sept. 30, 2025, 7:12 a.m.
Summary
This blog post explains how to safely change the default Python interpreter in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) using symbolic links, particularly in RHEL 9 and later where the traditional method is unsupported. It emphasizes the importance of not modifying the system Python for system stability, and suggests using `#!/usr/bin/env python3` for better script portability.