Changing version of python kills wicd SOLVED

[keithostertag]

Before this past week my desktop had been using python version 2.7. A few days ago I used update-alternatives to switch to using python 3.5 because I am starting a study of python and want to use the latest version to learn python coding.

No problem until today when a power outage in my neighborhood happened for a few minutes. When I powered my desktop back on I couldn't get networking to work... At first I feared the power outage may have fried or damaged something, so I spent a fair amount of time checking Ethernet lines and ports, the router, etc.

Eventually I discovered that wicd wasn't loading and refused to load. And by chance I happened to notice at least one other program refused to load (bleachbit). That's when I discovered that, to my surprise, I am actually running python-wicd instead of running wicd. I can only guess that change was made for me during a past system upgrade.

When I subsequently used update-alternatives to switch back to python 2.7, I find that wicd loads and I now have my network connections back as normal.

Is this a bug? Or have I missed some configuration setting to allow python dependent applications to use whatever the current version of python that is running?

Is there a way I can change back to using python 3.5 and keep my python dependent programs like wicd still working? (Evidently I will be able to run the python 3.5 versions of wicd, eclipse, pydev, Django, etc... that I recently loaded if I switch back to python 3.5 AFTER the system has loaded with python 2.7...)

I'm running an updated Stretch (now stable).

Thanks,
Keith Ostertag

Code: Select all

keith@ada:~$ uname -a
Linux ada 4.9.0-3-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.9.30-2+deb9u2 (2017-06-26) x86_64 GNU/Linux

keith@ada:~$ ps aux|grep wicd
root       745  0.0  0.0 185916 14896 ?        S    17:26   0:00 /usr/bin/python -O /usr/share/wicd/daemon/wicd-daemon.py --keep-connection
root       758  0.0  0.1 110472 17804 ?        S    17:26   0:00 /usr/bin/python -O /usr/share/wicd/daemon/monitor.py
keith     4724  0.0  0.0  12784   960 pts/0    S+   17:48   0:00 grep wicd

keith@ada:~$ dpkg -l "*wicd*"
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name                              Version               Architecture          Description
+++-=================================-=====================-=====================-=======================================================================
ii  python-wicd                       1.7.4+tb2-4           all                   wired and wireless network manager - Python module
ii  wicd                              1.7.4+tb2-4           all                   wired and wireless network manager - metapackage
un  wicd-cli                          <none>                <none>                (no description available)
un  wicd-client                       <none>                <none>                (no description available)
un  wicd-curses                       <none>                <none>                (no description available)
ii  wicd-daemon                       1.7.4+tb2-4           all                   wired and wireless network manager - daemon
ii  wicd-gtk                          1.7.4+tb2-4           all                   wired and wireless network manager - GTK+ client

keith@ada:~$ sudo update-alternatives --config python
There are 2 choices for the alternative python (providing /usr/bin/python).

  Selection    Path                Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
  0            /usr/bin/python3.5   2         auto mode
* 1            /usr/bin/python2.7   1         manual mode
  2            /usr/bin/python3.5   2         manual mode

[Bulkley]

Maybe you should stop using update-alternatives.

You do know that you can have both 2.7 and 3.5, don't you?

[keithostertag]

Hi Buckley- Yes, I do know I have both versions loaded. I had read that using update-alternatives is the proper way to select which version I want to use... but I guess I misinterpreted that...

Now I see that I can simply run "python3" at the command prompt (to write code) even when python 2.7 is the system default. At least it seems to work at the moment...

I hadn't known that- so you have given me the answer.

Thanks!

[Bulkley]

I'm glad you got it working. Could you please add Solved to the title in your opening post? This might help someone else.

[stevepusser]

Wicd is a Python program that uses its GTK bindings for the GUI. There's isn't any non-Python version. Wicd-gtk is the GUI package.