How to upgrade python 3.8 to 3.10?

I use a lot of scientific packages (installed with zypper) that I want to upgrade from python 3.8 to the latest python release 3.10.
Dependencies of these libraries are interleaved with the python (versions 2.7, 3.6 and 3.8!) used by the system.
I would want to know a good strategy to upgrade python, ideally getting rid of the old versions.
Thanks!

Take a look at the anaconda python environment. (https://www.anaconda.com) It installs as a User and doesn’t affect your system python files. I believe current anaconda includes python 10. It has it’s own updater/installer. Sets up anaconda environments that you customize for a partcular line of computations, e.g., I have two environments for analysis of Webb telescope data using modules from NASA. Just need some data to try it out. Can use notebooks also.

You can exit the anaconda environment and go back to the system python files as you wish.

have a look, tom kosvic

Your question is rather unclear.

Currently Tumbleweed provides Python 3.6, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 and modules for these versions. All those versions can be installed and used in parallel. So if you need Python 3.10, just install python310 and run python3.10. If you need additional modules, just install corresponding python310-foo package.

There is default system version (the one that is invoked when you call just python3) that is installed by default. This will be switched to 3.10 when it is ready. It is very unwise to change it, because it may break some system components.

Finally, if you installed some software using zypper, this software is expected to be available for all python versions. If you provide any more details than just “a lot of scientific packages”, someone could check whether your packages are available for Python 3.10.