I've download python3.8 following the instructions at Developing With Python 3.8 on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
Running python3.8 in the terminal works fine.
The thing is, when I try to make a channel that uses python3.8 on conda it doesn't find it. That is, running
conda create --name py38 python=3.8returns:
PackagesNotFoundError: The following packages are not available from current channels:
Current channels: - - - - - - 1 Answer
Conda is, by definition and design, the package manager for the Python distribution Anaconda, and thus maintains its own Python versions, i.e. a complete Python installation including executables and the Python Standard libraries, inside the installation directory for the Anaconda distribution. It does not use the Python Version provided by the system. And as long as Anaconda‘s maintainers do not provide Python 3.8 on their official base channel, there is no easy way to use Python 3.8 through Anaconda, unless you find an alternate, unofficial channel that provides it - you can always specify another channel when installing packages, like for example for the community-maintained conda-forge (which has many additional packages compared to the default channel, but afaik not yet python3.8 so the below might not work yet):
conda install -c conda-forge python=3.8
Please be aware that this might introduce additional dependencies from said channel and I strongly recommend to create a new conda (virtual) environment when trying out new packages, or for any new project for that matter.
Please refer to the conda help function, Anaconda manual, and askubuntu and stackoverflow sites for more Information on how to work with conda environments and channels, and have fun playing all the new features of Python 3.8 :)
