Tensorflow Update Forcing Python3.5 when 3.7 installed

Question

I currently have Tensorflow 1.14.0 installed. I upgraded Python to 3.7 in order to get at least Tensorflow 1.15 if not 2.0. My python updates were successful:

pi@HCoreDEV:~ $ python --version
Python 3.7.0

pi@HCoreDEV:~ $ python3 --version
Python 3.7.0

Now, when I try

sudo pip install --upgrade tensorflow

I get the following (there are a LOT more lines, but they all say "requirement already satisfied" or "up to date"):

Looking in indexes: https://pypi.org/simple, https://www.piwheels.org/simple
Requirement already up-to-date: tensorflow in /usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages (1.14.0)

NOTE that it defaults to the python 3.5 folder.... ????

BUT: If I try to check the VERSION of TF:

pi@HCoreDEV:~ $ python3 -c 'import tensorflow as tf; print(tf.__version__)'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tensorflow'

pi@HCoreDEV:~ $ python -c 'import tensorflow as tf; print(tf.__version__)'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tensorflow'

It doesn't even see ANY TF installed.

Here is my update-alternatives output:

pi@HCoreDEV:~ $ sudo update-alternatives --config python
There are 3 choices for the alternative python (providing /usr/bin/python).

  Selection    Path                Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
  0            /usr/bin/python3.7   3         auto mode
  1            /usr/bin/python2.7   1         manual mode
  2            /usr/bin/python3.5   2         manual mode
* 3            /usr/bin/python3.7   3         manual mode

Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number:

And finally, here is my sourced ~/.bashrc file's aliases for python and python3 for good measure:

alias python='/usr/bin/python3.7'
alias python3='/usr/bin/python3.7'

So WHY is it that with confirmed python3.7 installed and running, Tensorflow only looks at the 3.5 folder, sees an existing install that was running before I upgraded to 3.7, and says the requirements are satisfied?

When I just type "python" into my terminal window, this is the output:

pi@HCoreDEV:~ $ python
Python 3.7.0 (default, Feb  6 2020, 16:11:11) 
[GCC 6.3.0 20170516] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 

Lastly, here is my sys.path output:

>>> import sys
>>> sys.path
['', '/usr/local/lib/python37.zip', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/lib-dynload', '/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages']
>>> 

Need some help, I hope I've provided enough info to make the issue obvious to someone with a bit more experience than me.

Answer 1

The latest Python version on Stretch is 3.5. The command line tool pip calls the Python 3.5 Pip module. If you have another version installed and you want to install/update packages for that specific version, then you must use the correct Pip by running it like this (assuming python3 is the correct version or an alias):

$ python3 -m pip install --upgrade tensorflow

Or if you need sudo:

$ sudo -H python3 -m pip install --upgrade tensorflow

If you don't have Pip installed for that specific Python version you can run:

$ sudo -H python3 -m ensurepip