pythonpython-3.6rhelrhel7

How to fix -- bash: /usr/bin/python: Too many levels of symbolic links

I wanted to make python3 my default on rhel so I followed the following at How to set Python3.5.2 as default Python version on CentOS?

sudo ln -fs /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python

It changed the default to 3.6.8

root@rhel:~# python -V
Python 3.6.8

Then I tried yum install python-pip:

root@rhel:~# yum install python-pip
  File "/usr/bin/yum", line 30
    except KeyboardInterrupt, e:
                        ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

This happened when I tried a few other commands. I tried reverting the changes by

root@rhel:~# sudo ln -fs /usr/bin/python /usr/bin/python

But am running into 

root@rhel:~# python -V
bash: /usr/bin/python: Too many levels of symbolic links

I guess from what Im reading in places I need to break the sym links. The following is whats in my /usr/bin/

enter image description here

ls -l /usr/bin | grep python

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root          15 Oct 21 14:12 python -> /usr/bin/python
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root          14 Aug  8 05:53 python-config -> python2-config
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root           9 Aug  8 05:51 python2 -> python2.7
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root          16 Aug  8 05:53 python2-config -> python2.7-config
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root root        7144 Jun 11 10:34 python2.7
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root root        1835 Jun 11 10:34 python2.7-config
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root           9 Aug  8 05:51 python3 -> python3.6
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root          16 Aug  8 05:53 python3-config -> python3.6-config
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root          20 Aug  8 05:53 python3-debug -> /usr/bin/python3.6dm
-rwxr-xr-x    2 root root       11336 Jun 11 15:17 python3.6
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root          17 Aug  8 05:53 python3.6-config -> python3.6m-config
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root root       11336 Jun 11 15:17 python3.6dm
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root root         175 Jun 11 15:16 python3.6dm-config
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root root        3396 Jun 11 14:54 python3.6dm-x86_64-config
-rwxr-xr-x    2 root root       11336 Jun 11 15:17 python3.6m
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root root         173 Jun 11 15:16 python3.6m-config
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root root        3403 Jun 11 14:54 python3.6m-x86_64-config
Solution

  • this line of the result

    lrwxrwxrwx    1 root root          15 Oct 21 14:12 python -> /usr/bin/python

    tells us that the symbolic link python points to itself which is giving you the "Too many levels" error.

    you can remove the link via

    rm python

    or reset the link to python3 using

    ln -fs /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python

    (probably need sudo for both of these)

    The yum install error is a separate issue, though