Are you encountering the following error when trying to use yum on your CentOS system?
File "/bin/yum", line 30
except KeyboardInterrupt, e:
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
This error typically occurs when the default Python interpreter has been switched from Python 2 to Python 3. Since yum relies on Python 2, pointing the /usr/bin/python symlink to Python 3 causes syntax incompatibilities. In this article, we’ll guide you through resolving this issue and restoring your system’s package manager to working order.
Understanding the Cause
CentOS systems typically use Python 2 as the default interpreter for system utilities like yum. If you’ve installed Python 3 and updated the /usr/bin/python symlink to point to it, you’ll encounter syntax errors due to incompatibilities between Python 2 and Python 3 syntax.
Restoring the Default Python Symlink
To fix the error, you need to point the /usr/bin/python symlink back to Python 2. Remove the existing symlink with the command:
sudo rm /usr/bin/python
Then, create a new symlink to Python 2:
sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python2 /usr/bin/python
Verify the change with:
ls -l /usr/bin/python
The symlink should now point to /usr/bin/python2. Test yum by running a command like:
sudo yum update
to see if the issue is resolved.
Preventing Future Conflicts
To avoid this problem in the future, it’s advisable not to change the default Python interpreter symlink. Instead, explicitly call Python 3 when needed by using python3 in your commands or scripts. For example:
python3 script.py
If you require Python 3 for your applications, ensure that system utilities remain unaffected by leaving the default Python interpreter as Python 2.
Conclusion
Switching the default Python interpreter can cause system utilities like yum to fail due to syntax differences between Python 2 and Python 3. By resetting the /usr/bin/python symlink to point back to Python 2, you can resolve the SyntaxError and restore functionality to your CentOS system.
Keywords: yum error, CentOS, Python version conflict, SyntaxError, invalid syntax, fix yum error, restore Python symlink
Meta Description: Learn how to fix the yum SyntaxError on CentOS caused by a Python version conflict. Follow our guide to restore the default Python symlink and resolve the error.
