"python" shim is not used if a user has ran it before installing the first alternative version

[debnet]

GNU/Linux Fedora 38 (x86/64), pyenv 2.3.21 (fresh install), gcc 13.1.1

I installed Python version 3.11.4 and use pyenv local 3.11.4 as usual, but shims seem to only use version from the system (3.11.3).

marc@marcbook ~  
$ which python
/usr/bin/python

marc@marcbook ~  
$ python --version
Python 3.11.3

marc@marcbook ~  
$ pyenv install -f 3.11.4
Downloading Python-3.11.4.tar.xz...
-> https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.11.4/Python-3.11.4.tar.xz
Installing Python-3.11.4...
Installed Python-3.11.4 to /home/marc/.pyenv/versions/3.11.4

marc@marcbook ~  
$ pyenv local 3.11.4

marc@marcbook ~ 3.11.4 
$ pyenv rehash

marc@marcbook ~ 3.11.4 
$ which python
~/.pyenv/shims/python

marc@marcbook ~ 3.11.4 
$ python --version
Python 3.11.3

But it works fine with Python 3.12-dev, so I don't really understand what is going on...

marc@marcbook ~
$ pyenv local 3.12-dev

marc@marcbook ~ 3.12-dev
$ pyenv versions
  system
  3.11.4
* 3.12-dev (set by /home/marc/.python-version)

marc@marcbook ~ 3.12-dev 
$ python --version
Python 3.12.0b3+

[native-api]

Duplicate of #2698 , it looks like

[debnet]

It is not. Please re-open.

[native-api]

We need diagnostic information as per the issue template to say anything more specific.

[native-api]

I was able to reproduce this in a fresh install of Pyenv in Fedora 38.

The cause was Bash's PATH cache. It was still running /usr/bin/python when you invoke "python" despite the PATH now pointing to a Pyenv's shim.

Run hash -r to fix.

[native-api]

(Correction:)

Looks like this happens when you

• start a shell when there are no alt versions installed yet
• invoke python3/python (the latter -- if your system has the "python" executable)
• pyenv install an alt version, without running hash -r or restarting your shell afterwards
• invoke python3/python again

Could you confirm?

[native-api]

marc@marcbook ~ 3.11.4
$ pyenv rehash

This btw should've fixed the Bash hash issue. Looks like you didn't install Pyenv into your shell as a shell function as per the README and/or not restarted the shell after that.

[debnet]

I used pyenv installer script and put this into my .bashrc as stated by documentation.

export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PYENV_VIRTUALENV_DISABLE_PROMPT=1
command -v pyenv >/dev/null || export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"