path: root/devdocs/python~3.12/installing%2Findex.html

 <span id="installing-index"></span><h1>Installing Python Modules</h1> <dl class="field-list simple"> <dt class="field-odd">Email</dt> <dd class="field-odd">
<p><a class="reference external" href="mailto:distutils-sig%40python.org">distutils-sig<span>@</span>python<span>.</span>org</a></p> </dd> </dl> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>This guide covers the installation part of the process. For a guide to creating and sharing your own Python projects, refer to the <a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/tutorials/packaging-projects/">Python packaging user guide</a>.</p> <div class="admonition note"> <p class="admonition-title">Note</p> <p>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.</p> </div> <section id="key-terms"> <h2>Key terms</h2> <ul class="simple"> <li>
<code>pip</code> is the preferred installer program. Starting with Python 3.4, it is included by default with the Python binary installers.</li> <li>A <em>virtual environment</em> is a semi-isolated Python environment that allows packages to be installed for use by a particular application, rather than being installed system wide.</li> <li>
<code>venv</code> 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 <code>pip</code> into all created virtual environments.</li> <li>
<code>virtualenv</code> is a third party alternative (and predecessor) to <code>venv</code>. It allows virtual environments to be used on versions of Python prior to 3.4, which either don’t provide <code>venv</code> at all, or aren’t able to automatically install <code>pip</code> into created environments.</li> <li>The <a class="reference external" href="https://pypi.org">Python Package Index</a> is a public repository of open source licensed packages made available for use by other Python users.</li> <li>the <a class="reference external" href="https://www.pypa.io/">Python Packaging Authority</a> 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 <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/pypa">GitHub</a>.</li> <li>
<code>distutils</code> is the original build and distribution system first added to the Python standard library in 1998. While direct use of <code>distutils</code> 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).</li> </ul> <div class="versionchanged"> <p><span class="versionmodified changed">Changed in version 3.5: </span>The use of <code>venv</code> is now recommended for creating virtual environments.</p> </div> <div class="admonition seealso"> <p class="admonition-title">See also</p> <p><a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/installing/#creating-virtual-environments">Python Packaging User Guide: Creating and using virtual environments</a></p> </div> </section> <section id="basic-usage"> <h2>Basic usage</h2> <p>The standard packaging tools are all designed to be used from the command line.</p> <p>The following command will install the latest version of a module and its dependencies from the Python Package Index:</p> <pre data-language="none">python -m pip install SomePackage
</pre> <div class="admonition note"> <p class="admonition-title">Note</p> <p>For POSIX users (including macOS and Linux users), the examples in this guide assume the use of a <a class="reference internal" href="../glossary#term-virtual-environment"><span class="xref std std-term">virtual environment</span></a>.</p> <p>For Windows users, the examples in this guide assume that the option to adjust the system PATH environment variable was selected when installing Python.</p> </div> <p>It’s also possible to specify an exact or minimum version directly on the command line. When using comparator operators such as <code>&gt;</code>, <code>&lt;</code> or some other special character which get interpreted by shell, the package name and the version should be enclosed within double quotes:</p> <pre data-language="none">python -m pip install SomePackage==1.0.4    # specific version
python -m pip install "SomePackage&gt;=1.0.4"  # minimum version
</pre> <p>Normally, if a suitable module is already installed, attempting to install it again will have no effect. Upgrading existing modules must be requested explicitly:</p> <pre data-language="none">python -m pip install --upgrade SomePackage
</pre> <p>More information and resources regarding <code>pip</code> and its capabilities can be found in the <a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org">Python Packaging User Guide</a>.</p> <p>Creation of virtual environments is done through the <a class="reference internal" href="../library/venv#module-venv" title="venv: Creation of virtual environments."><code>venv</code></a> module. Installing packages into an active virtual environment uses the commands shown above.</p> <div class="admonition seealso"> <p class="admonition-title">See also</p> <p><a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/installing/">Python Packaging User Guide: Installing Python Distribution Packages</a></p> </div> </section> <section id="how-do-i"> <h2>How do I …?</h2> <p>These are quick answers or links for some common tasks.</p> <section id="install-pip-in-versions-of-python-prior-to-python-3-4"> <h3>… install <code>pip</code> in versions of Python prior to Python 3.4?</h3> <p>Python only started bundling <code>pip</code> with Python 3.4. For earlier versions, <code>pip</code> needs to be “bootstrapped” as described in the Python Packaging User Guide.</p> <div class="admonition seealso"> <p class="admonition-title">See also</p> <p><a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/installing/#requirements-for-installing-packages">Python Packaging User Guide: Requirements for Installing Packages</a></p> </div> </section> <section id="install-packages-just-for-the-current-user"> <h3>… install packages just for the current user?</h3> <p>Passing the <code>--user</code> option to <code>python -m pip install</code> will install a package just for the current user, rather than for all users of the system.</p> </section> <section id="install-scientific-python-packages"> <h3>… install scientific Python packages?</h3> <p>A number of scientific Python packages have complex binary dependencies, and aren’t currently easy to install using <code>pip</code> directly. At this point in time, it will often be easier for users to install these packages by <a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/science/">other means</a> rather than attempting to install them with <code>pip</code>.</p> <div class="admonition seealso"> <p class="admonition-title">See also</p> <p><a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/science/">Python Packaging User Guide: Installing Scientific Packages</a></p> </div> </section> <section id="work-with-multiple-versions-of-python-installed-in-parallel"> <h3>… work with multiple versions of Python installed in parallel?</h3> <p>On Linux, macOS, and other POSIX systems, use the versioned Python commands in combination with the <code>-m</code> switch to run the appropriate copy of <code>pip</code>:</p> <pre data-language="none">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
</pre> <p>Appropriately versioned <code>pip</code> commands may also be available.</p> <p>On Windows, use the <code>py</code> Python launcher in combination with the <code>-m</code> switch:</p> <pre data-language="none">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
</pre> </section> </section> <section id="common-installation-issues"> <h2>Common installation issues</h2> <section id="installing-into-the-system-python-on-linux"> <h3>Installing into the system Python on Linux</h3> <p>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 <code>pip</code>.</p> <p>On such systems, it is often better to use a virtual environment or a per-user installation when installing packages with <code>pip</code>.</p> </section> <section id="pip-not-installed"> <h3>Pip not installed</h3> <p>It is possible that <code>pip</code> does not get installed by default. One potential fix is:</p> <pre data-language="none">python -m ensurepip --default-pip
</pre> <p>There are also additional resources for <a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/tutorials/installing-packages/#ensure-pip-setuptools-and-wheel-are-up-to-date">installing pip.</a></p> </section> <section id="installing-binary-extensions"> <h3>Installing binary extensions</h3> <p>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.</p> <p>With the introduction of support for the binary <code>wheel</code> 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.</p> <p>Some of the solutions for installing <a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/science/">scientific software</a> that are not yet available as pre-built <code>wheel</code> files may also help with obtaining other binary extensions without needing to build them locally.</p> <div class="admonition seealso"> <p class="admonition-title">See also</p> <p><a class="reference external" href="https://packaging.python.org/extensions/">Python Packaging User Guide: Binary Extensions</a></p> </div> </section> </section> <div class="_attribution">
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