----------

And the rest from Google/AI:

Yes, SUSE (both openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise) uses an
alternatives system, but it is typically used for Python modules rather than the core python3 binary itself.

While you can technically use the update-alternatives command to point python3 to a different version, it is highly discouraged. Essential system tools like YaST, Zypper, and firewalld rely on the specific version of Python they were built with; changing the system-wide python3 can break these critical components.

How to manage multiple Python versions safely:
The "SUSE Way" for Binaries: SUSE typically installs Python versions side-by-side as python3.x. You are encouraged to call them explicitly (e.g., python3.14) or use the correct shebang in your scripts: #!/usr/bin/env python3.14.
update-alternatives (for modules): Many Python-based tools (like poetry) use the alternatives system so you can switch between versions:
bash
sudo update-alternatives --config poetry
Recommended Tool: pyenv: For development, use pyenv (which is packaged in openSUSE) to manage Python versions for a specific user or directory without touching the system default.

Aliases: For your own shell usage, adding alias python3=python3.14 to your ~/.bashrc is a safe, non-destructive way to change the command for your interactive sessions.
Summary Table

Approach Suitability Risk

update-alternatives Good for generic tools High (Can break system scripts)

libalternatives Good for Tumbleweed Medium

Pyenv Best for development None (Isolated to user)

Venv Best for projects None

In short: Yes, you can use update-alternatives on SUSE, but for Python, use pyenv to set a different version as default for your user to avoid breaking the OS.
Directly replacing /usr/bin/python3 with a newer version (like 3.14) via update-alternatives is generally discouraged as it can break system tools that rely on the default version.

Here is how to manage multiple Python versions on SUSE:

1. Recommended: Use Package Manager for Side-by-Side Installation

SUSE handles multiple Python versions by installing them with specific version names (e.g., python311, python312). You can install a newer Python version alongside the system default.
bash
sudo zypper install python311  # Example: installing Python 3.11
The default Python remains /usr/bin/python3 (e.g., 3.6 or 3.10).

The new version is available as /usr/bin/python3.11.

You can call your scripts using python3.11 script.py.

2. The "Alternatives" Approach (Alternative to update-alternatives)

On modern openSUSE (Tumbleweed/Leap 16+), a new system called libalternatives is used to support transactional updates.

If you are using an older version, you can create a user-specific alias, which is much safer:
bash
# Add this to your ~/.bashrc
alias python3='/usr/bin/python3.11'
3. Using pyenv (Best for Development)

To use a very new version like 3.14 without affecting system packages, pyenv is recommended.
bash
# Install pyenv and then:
pyenv install 3.14.0
pyenv global 3.14.0
>
>> zypper se -i python*devel
>>
>> S | Name | Summary | Type
>> ---+-----------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+--------
>> i+ | python313-devel | Include Files and Libraries Mandatory for Building Python Modules | package
>> i+ | python314-devel | Include Files and Libraries Mandatory for Building Python Modules | package
>> i+ | python315-devel | Include Files and Libraries Mandatory for Building Python Modules | package
>>
>>
>> but still get
>>
>> cat make.log | grep "#include"
>> 25 | #include "xfer/xfer.h"
>>
>>
>>
>>

Approach	Suitability	Risk
`update-alternatives`	Good for generic tools	High (Can break system scripts)
`libalternatives`	Good for Tumbleweed	Medium
Pyenv	Best for development	None (Isolated to user)
Venv	Best for projects	None