Python seemingly broken/disappeared on Kubuntu 24.10, Pycharm CE not recognising /usr/bin/python*

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1

Ubuntu Version:
Kubuntu 24.10

Problem Description:
I’m currently trying to create a venv through pycharm, but having issues selecting the base python.

What I’ve Tried:

I’ve tried to find where python is installed with:
where python
where python3
however both of these don’t return anything.

where pip
where pip3
both return
bash: /usr/lib/command-not-found: /usr/bin/python3: bad interpreter: Permission denied

pip --version
pip3 --version
return
/usr/bin/pip
/usr/bin/pip3
respectivley

It seems to me like python has somewhat… disappeared off my system at some point.
The files are still there, it seems.

erin@erin-main:~$ ls -la /usr/bin/python*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      16 Jul 17 01:30 /usr/bin/python -> /usr/bin/python3
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      10 Aug  7  2024 /usr/bin/python3 -> python3.12
-rwx------ 1 root root 8021824 Jun 18 18:59 /usr/bin/python3.12
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      34 Jun 18 18:59 /usr/bin/python3.12-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.12-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      17 Aug  7  2024 /usr/bin/python3-config -> python3.12-config

but not recognised by pycharm as interpreters.

I’m not entirely sure if this is the correct place to put this kind of thing, but I am very lost right now.
Any help is appreciated (even if it’s booting me off to another, more appropriate forum)

Thanks in advance!

2

Kubuntu 24.10 is no longer supported. Can you use a supported release? (the most current releases are 24.04 LTS and 25.04)

The files are still there, but your python3.12 binary that python3 points to has somehow ended up with permissions that only allow root, and only root, to run it. That is not normal. If you don’t know how that happened, who knows if whatever it is may have affected other system-critical files’ permissions as well…

With all that, the best path forward is likely to

  • back up your data and system configuration,
  • do a complete fresh reinstall of a supported Kubuntu version.
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3

I’ll add https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PluckyUpgrades which should allow you to release-upgrade to a supported release.

Don’t forget that due to 24.10 being EOL; the notices mentioned

after which an extra step will be required.

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