on a system w/o python3

[Skaperen]

I could only assume all other distros would follow suit.

no, they do not.

i was under the impression the link name "python" referring to "python2" was installed by the python source install, and thus, was a standard.  if not, then i can change the link myself on systems with python3 and leave it alone on systems without python3 ... so scripts with #!/usr/bin/env python will run the best python on that system.

my Ubuntu 16.04 LTS system has both python2 and python3 but the name python refers to python2:

Output:
lt1/forums /home/forums 1> (for p in $(echo "$PATH"|tr : ' ');do ls -dl $p/python*;done)
ls: cannot access '/home/forums/.bin/python*': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/home/forums/.cmd/python*': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/home/forums/bin/python*': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/home/forums/cmd/python*': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/usr/local/cmd/python*': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/usr/local/bin/python*': No such file or directory
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root       9 May  2  2016 /usr/bin/python -> python2.7
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      16 Dec  9  2015 /usr/bin/python-config -> python2.7-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      13 Dec  9  2015 /usr/bin/python-dbg -> python2.7-dbg
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      20 Dec  9  2015 /usr/bin/python-dbg-config -> python2.7-dbg-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root       9 May  2  2016 /usr/bin/python2 -> python2.7
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      16 Dec  9  2015 /usr/bin/python2-config -> python2.7-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      13 Dec  9  2015 /usr/bin/python2-dbg -> python2.7-dbg
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      20 Dec  9  2015 /usr/bin/python2-dbg-config -> python2.7-dbg-config
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root     151 Nov 23  2015 /usr/bin/python2-pbr
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3546104 Nov 19  2016 /usr/bin/python2.7
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      33 Nov 19  2016 /usr/bin/python2.7-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python2.7-config
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 6414496 Nov 19  2016 /usr/bin/python2.7-dbg
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      37 Nov 19  2016 /usr/bin/python2.7-dbg-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python2.7-dbg-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root       9 May  2  2016 /usr/bin/python3 -> python3.5
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      16 Mar 23  2016 /usr/bin/python3-config -> python3.5-config
-rwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4456240 Sep 18 11:59 /usr/bin/python3.5
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      33 Sep 18 11:59 /usr/bin/python3.5-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.5-config
-rwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4456240 Sep 18 11:59 /usr/bin/python3.5m
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      34 Sep 18 11:59 /usr/bin/python3.5m-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.5m-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      10 May  2  2016 /usr/bin/python3m -> python3.5m
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root      17 Mar 23  2016 /usr/bin/python3m-config -> python3.5m-config
ls: cannot access '/bin/python*': No such file or directory
ls: cannot access '/usr/X11R6/bin/python*': No such file or directory
lt1/forums /home/forums 2>