Can't remove python 3.10 from ubuntu 20.04LTS

Question

Ubuntu 20.04 comes with python 3.8 as default version. I installed python 3.10 by adding deadsnakes ppa. While running "sudo apt remove python3.10" it gives following error.

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
python3.10-minimal : Depends: libpython3.10-minimal (= 3.10.4-1+focal2) but 3.10.4-1+focal1 is to be installed
                  Recommends: python3.10 but it is not going to be installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

How do I fix this? I ran "sudo apt --fix-broken install" as suggested; it gives following error:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
libpython3.10-minimal libpython3.10-stdlib
The following packages will be upgraded:
libpython3.10-minimal libpython3.10-stdlib
2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
7 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/2,566 kB of archives.
After this operation, 68.6 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
(Reading database ... 206497 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libpython3.10-stdlib_3.10.4-1+focal2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython3.10-stdlib:amd64 (3.10.4-1+focal2) over (3.10.4-1+focal1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libpython3.10-stdlib_3.10.4-1+focal2_amd64.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/python3.10/_sysconfigdata__linux_x86_64-linux-gnu.py', which is also in package libpython3.10-minimal:amd64 3.10.4-1+focal1
Preparing to unpack .../libpython3.10-minimal_3.10.4-1+focal2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython3.10-minimal:amd64 (3.10.4-1+focal2) over (3.10.4-1+focal1) ...
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libpython3.10-minimal_3.10.4-1+focal2_amd64.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/python3.10/typing.py', which is also in package 
libpython3.10-stdlib:amd64 3.10.4-1+focal1
dpkg-deb: error: paste subprocess was killed by signal (Broken pipe)
Errors were encountered while processing:
/var/cache/apt/archives/libpython3.10-stdlib_3.10.4-1+focal2_amd64.deb
/var/cache/apt/archives/libpython3.10-minimal_3.10.4-1+focal2_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Answer 1

Happened to me today, please see: this answer Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) while upgrading python3.10

ls -l /var/lib/dpkg/info | grep -i libpython3.10-minimal

sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/info/libpython3.10-minimal:amd64.* /tmp

sudo apt --fix-broken install

Answer 2

First ensure that you are using python3.8 as the default python version.

sudo update-alternatives  --set python3 /usr/bin/python3.8
sudo update-alternatives  --set python /usr/bin/python3.8

Now, try purging the PPA to remove python3.10

sudo apt install ppa-purge
sudo ppa-purge ppa:deadsnakes/ppa