[Tutor] Wish to upgrade Python 3.6.5 to Python 3.6.6 for Linux Mint 19

[boB Stepp]

On Sat, Jul 14, 2018 at 8:18 PM Jim <jf_byrnes at comcast.net> wrote:

> If you look you might find a PPA that has packaged it. I installed
> python 3.6.5 (no help to you) on Mint 18 from here:
> https://launchpad.net/~jonathonf/+archive/ubuntu/python-3.6'.

That is an interesting thought.  My only concern is how does one
choose a "safe" PPA?  With the recent security breaches of Gentoo and
Arch Linux repositories, nothing seems safe nowadays, and PPAs seem
dependent on trusting someone apart from the official Linux
distribution.  However, when I was doing my searching, this particular
PPA came up more than once, so I imagine he is reliable.

> Maybe you can find one that does 3.6.6 or ask Jonathon if he intends to
> package 3.6.6. Whatever you do I would suggest you install it in a
> virtual environment, especially if you are going to be experimenting
> with a lot of libraries. If you use a virtual environment you don't have
> to worry about breaking your system python.

Your advice is very solid.  Alas!  I was hoping to delay getting
intimate with virtual environments, but based on my own searches, your
advice and Alan's it appears to me that I have three obvious choices:
(1) Just stick with the current system Python 3 until an issue comes
up that 3.6.6 fixes.  (2) Wait on the system Python 3 to provide an
update to Python 3.6.6. (3) Install into a virtual environment --
either compiling from source or the PPA route.

Thanks, Jim!
-- 
boB