If you see this and the reported version number is sufficiently high (often 3.9 or higher),**you are good to go**.

1. Open the Microsoft Store on Windows

2. Search for Python

3. Find the latest version of Python from Microsoft (currently lists 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, and[**3.10**](https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9PJPW5LDXLZ5))

3. Find the latest version of Python from Microsoft (currently lists 3.7, 3.8, 3.9,3.10,and[**3.11**](https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/python-311/9NRWMJP3717K?hl=en-us&gl=us))

4. Install from the Microsoft Store

5. Close all terminal and command prompt windows

6. Run`python -V` in a new terminal window to verify you have Python now working

**Pros**

* Will keep Python up-to-date on your system as long as you periodically run the upgrade command

* Will update across versions (e.g. 3.9 -> 3.10)

* Will update across versions (e.g. 3.10 -> 3.11)

* Can inform you of pending upgrade if upgrade command is run

**Cons**

* Generally uses[conda environments](https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html) rather than[Python's virtual environments](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python-virtual-environment/) - this can lead to a mismatch in instructions when Anaconda is not the primary tool used.

* Packages available here often lag behind in release schedule from PyPI / pip

* Often one whole version behind on Python (e.g. 3.9 rather than 3.10)

* Often one whole version behind on Python (e.g. 3.10 rather than 3.11)

**Install steps - Anaconda distribution on Windows**

If you see this and the reported version number is sufficiently high (often 3.6 or higher),**you are good to go**.

If you see this and the reported version number is sufficiently high (often 3.9 or higher),**you are good to go**.

**Pros**

* Will keep Python up-to-date on your system as long as you periodically run the upgrade command

* Will update across versions (e.g. 3.9 -> 3.10)

* Will update across versions (e.g. 3.10 -> 3.11)

* Can inform you of pending upgrade if upgrade command is run

**Cons**

* Generally uses[conda environments](https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html) rather than[Python's virtual environments](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python-virtual-environment/) - this can lead to a mismatch in instructions when Anaconda is not the primary tool used.

* Packages available here often lag behind in release schedule from PyPI / pip

* Often one whole version behind on Python (e.g. 3.9 rather than 3.10)

* Often one whole version behind on Python (e.g. 3.10 rather than 3.11)

**Install steps - Anaconda distribution on Windows**

If you see this and the reported version number is sufficiently high (often 3.6 or higher),**you are good to go**.

If you see this and the reported version number is sufficiently high (often 3.9 or higher),**you are good to go**.

**Pros**

* Will keep Python up-to-date on your system as long as you periodically run the upgrade command

* Will update across versions (e.g. 3.9 -> 3.10)

* Will update across versions (e.g. 3.10 -> 3.11)

* Can inform you of pending upgrade if upgrade command is run

**Cons**

3. Install the build tools:`sudo apt-get install -y build-essential checkinstall`

4. Add additional libraries needed by Python to build:`apt-get install libreadline-gplv2-dev libncursesw5-dev libssl-dev libffi-dev libsqlite3-dev tk-dev libgdbm-dev libc6-dev libbz2-dev`

5. Change into the src directory:`cd /usr/src`

6. Get the latest source from[python.org/downloads/source](https://www.python.org/downloads/source/) and wget it locally, e.g.:`sudo wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.10.1/Python-3.10.1.tgz`

7. Decompress it (varies by version):`sudo tar xzf Python-3.10.1.tgz`

8. Change into the created directory (varies by version):`cd Python-3.10.1`

6. Get the latest source from[python.org/downloads/source](https://www.python.org/downloads/source/) and wget it locally, e.g.:`sudo wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.0/Python-3.11.0.tgz`

7. Decompress it (varies by version):`sudo tar xzf Python-3.11.0.tgz`

8. Change into the created directory (varies by version):`cd Python-3.11.0`

9. Prepare it for compilation:`sudo ./configure --enable-optimizations`

10. Compile it without modifying system Python:`sudo make altinstall`

11. Verify this version was built (varies by version):`python3.10 --version`

12. Use`python3.10` instead of`python` or`python3` commands

13. Consider creating an[alias](https://www.howtogeek.com/73768/how-to-use-aliases-to-customize-ubuntu-commands/) of`python3.10` to`python` in your shell profile.

11. Verify this version was built (varies by version):`python3.11 --version`

12. Use`python3.11` instead of`python` or`python3` commands

13. Consider creating an[alias](https://www.howtogeek.com/73768/how-to-use-aliases-to-customize-ubuntu-commands/) of`python3.11` to`python` in your shell profile.

There is a[nice write up of this procedure over here](https://towardsdatascience.com/building-python-from-source-on-ubuntu-20-04-2ed29eec152b).