- Installation#
- ensurepip #
- get-pip.py #
- Standalone zip application#
- Alternative Methods#
- Upgrading pip #
- Compatibility#
- Installing Python Modules¶
- Key terms¶
- Basic usage¶
- How do I …?¶
- … install pip in versions of Python prior to Python 3.4?¶
- … install packages just for the current user?¶
- … install scientific Python packages?¶
- … work with multiple versions of Python installed in parallel?¶
- Common installation issues¶
- Installing into the system Python on Linux¶
- Pip not installed¶
- Installing binary extensions¶
Installation#
If your Python environment does not have pip installed, there are 2 mechanisms to install pip supported directly by pip’s maintainers:
ensurepip #
Python comes with an ensurepip module [ 1 ] , which can install pip in a Python environment.
$ python -m ensurepip --upgrade
$ python -m ensurepip --upgrade
More details about how ensurepip works and how it can be used, is available in the standard library documentation.
get-pip.py #
This is a Python script that uses some bootstrapping logic to install pip.
- Download the script, from https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py.
- Open a terminal/command prompt, cd to the folder containing the get-pip.py file and run:
More details about this script can be found in pypa/get-pip’s README.
Standalone zip application#
The zip application is currently experimental. We test that pip runs correctly in this form, but it is possible that there could be issues in some situations. We will accept bug reports in such cases, but for now the zip application should not be used in production environments.
In addition to installing pip in your environment, pip is available as a standalone zip application. This can be downloaded from https://bootstrap.pypa.io/pip/pip.pyz. There are also zip applications for specific pip versions, named pip-X.Y.Z.pyz .
The zip application can be run using any supported version of Python:
then the currently active Python interpreter will be used.
Alternative Methods#
Depending on how you installed Python, there might be other mechanisms available to you for installing pip such as using Linux package managers .
These mechanisms are provided by redistributors of pip, who may have modified pip to change its behaviour. This has been a frequent source of user confusion, since it causes a mismatch between documented behaviour in this documentation and how pip works after those modifications.
If you face issues when using Python and pip installed using these mechanisms, it is recommended to request for support from the relevant provider (eg: Linux distro community, cloud provider support channels, etc).
Upgrading pip #
Upgrade your pip by running:
$ python -m pip install --upgrade pip
$ python -m pip install --upgrade pip
C:> py -m pip install --upgrade pip
Compatibility#
The current version of pip works on:
pip is tested to work on the latest patch version of the Python interpreter, for each of the minor versions listed above. Previous patch versions are supported on a best effort approach.
Other operating systems and Python versions are not supported by pip’s maintainers.
Users who are on unsupported platforms should be aware that if they hit issues, they may have to resolve them for themselves. If they received pip from a source which provides support for their platform, they should request pip support from that source.
The ensurepip module was added to the Python standard library in Python 3.4.
Installing Python Modules¶
As a popular open source development project, Python has an active supporting community of contributors and users that also make their software available for other Python developers to use under open source license terms.
This allows Python users to share and collaborate effectively, benefiting from the solutions others have already created to common (and sometimes even rare!) problems, as well as potentially contributing their own solutions to the common pool.
This guide covers the installation part of the process. For a guide to creating and sharing your own Python projects, refer to the distribution guide .
For corporate and other institutional users, be aware that many organisations have their own policies around using and contributing to open source software. Please take such policies into account when making use of the distribution and installation tools provided with Python.
Key terms¶
- pip is the preferred installer program. Starting with Python 3.4, it is included by default with the Python binary installers.
- A virtual environment is a semi-isolated Python environment that allows packages to be installed for use by a particular application, rather than being installed system wide.
- venv is the standard tool for creating virtual environments, and has been part of Python since Python 3.3. Starting with Python 3.4, it defaults to installing pip into all created virtual environments.
- virtualenv is a third party alternative (and predecessor) to venv . It allows virtual environments to be used on versions of Python prior to 3.4, which either don’t provide venv at all, or aren’t able to automatically install pip into created environments.
- The Python Package Index is a public repository of open source licensed packages made available for use by other Python users.
- the Python Packaging Authority is the group of developers and documentation authors responsible for the maintenance and evolution of the standard packaging tools and the associated metadata and file format standards. They maintain a variety of tools, documentation, and issue trackers on both GitHub and Bitbucket.
- distutils is the original build and distribution system first added to the Python standard library in 1998. While direct use of distutils is being phased out, it still laid the foundation for the current packaging and distribution infrastructure, and it not only remains part of the standard library, but its name lives on in other ways (such as the name of the mailing list used to coordinate Python packaging standards development).
Changed in version 3.5: The use of venv is now recommended for creating virtual environments.
Basic usage¶
The standard packaging tools are all designed to be used from the command line.
The following command will install the latest version of a module and its dependencies from the Python Package Index:
python -m pip install SomePackage
For POSIX users (including macOS and Linux users), the examples in this guide assume the use of a virtual environment .
For Windows users, the examples in this guide assume that the option to adjust the system PATH environment variable was selected when installing Python.
It’s also possible to specify an exact or minimum version directly on the command line. When using comparator operators such as > , < or some other special character which get interpreted by shell, the package name and the version should be enclosed within double quotes:
python -m pip install SomePackage==1.0.4 # specific version python -m pip install "SomePackage>=1.0.4" # minimum version
Normally, if a suitable module is already installed, attempting to install it again will have no effect. Upgrading existing modules must be requested explicitly:
python -m pip install --upgrade SomePackage
More information and resources regarding pip and its capabilities can be found in the Python Packaging User Guide.
Creation of virtual environments is done through the venv module. Installing packages into an active virtual environment uses the commands shown above.
How do I …?¶
These are quick answers or links for some common tasks.
… install pip in versions of Python prior to Python 3.4?¶
Python only started bundling pip with Python 3.4. For earlier versions, pip needs to be “bootstrapped” as described in the Python Packaging User Guide.
… install packages just for the current user?¶
Passing the —user option to python -m pip install will install a package just for the current user, rather than for all users of the system.
… install scientific Python packages?¶
A number of scientific Python packages have complex binary dependencies, and aren’t currently easy to install using pip directly. At this point in time, it will often be easier for users to install these packages by other means rather than attempting to install them with pip .
… work with multiple versions of Python installed in parallel?¶
On Linux, macOS, and other POSIX systems, use the versioned Python commands in combination with the -m switch to run the appropriate copy of pip :
python2 -m pip install SomePackage # default Python 2 python2.7 -m pip install SomePackage # specifically Python 2.7 python3 -m pip install SomePackage # default Python 3 python3.4 -m pip install SomePackage # specifically Python 3.4
Appropriately versioned pip commands may also be available.
On Windows, use the py Python launcher in combination with the -m switch:
py -2 -m pip install SomePackage # default Python 2 py -2.7 -m pip install SomePackage # specifically Python 2.7 py -3 -m pip install SomePackage # default Python 3 py -3.4 -m pip install SomePackage # specifically Python 3.4
Common installation issues¶
Installing into the system Python on Linux¶
On Linux systems, a Python installation will typically be included as part of the distribution. Installing into this Python installation requires root access to the system, and may interfere with the operation of the system package manager and other components of the system if a component is unexpectedly upgraded using pip .
On such systems, it is often better to use a virtual environment or a per-user installation when installing packages with pip .
Pip not installed¶
It is possible that pip does not get installed by default. One potential fix is:
python -m ensurepip --default-pip
There are also additional resources for installing pip.
Installing binary extensions¶
Python has typically relied heavily on source based distribution, with end users being expected to compile extension modules from source as part of the installation process.
With the introduction of support for the binary wheel format, and the ability to publish wheels for at least Windows and macOS through the Python Package Index, this problem is expected to diminish over time, as users are more regularly able to install pre-built extensions rather than needing to build them themselves.
Some of the solutions for installing scientific software that are not yet available as pre-built wheel files may also help with obtaining other binary extensions without needing to build them locally.