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Installing Python Modules
Installing Python Modules
Email: [email protected]
Key terms
Basic usage
How do I …? As a popular open source development project, Python has an active supporting community of contributors and
… install pip in
users that also make their software available for other Python developers to use under open source license
versions of Python
prior to Python 3.4? terms.
… install packages
just for the current This allows Python users to share and collaborate effectively, benefiting from the solutions others have already
user?
… install scientific created to common (and sometimes even rare!) problems, as well as potentially contributing their own solutions
Python packages? to the common pool.
… work with
multiple versions of
Python installed in This guide covers the installation part of the process. For a guide to creating and sharing your own Python
parallel? projects, refer to the Python packaging user guide.
Common installation
issues
Installing into the Note: For corporate and other institutional users, be aware that many organisations have their own policies
system Python on
around using and contributing to open source software. Please take such policies into account when making
Linux
Pip not installed use of the distribution and installation tools provided with Python.
Installing binary
extensions
Key terms
Previous topic
API and ABI Versioning pip is the preferred installer program. Starting with Python 3.4, it is included by default with the Python
binary installers.
Next topic
A virtual environment is a semi-isolated Python environment that allows packages to be installed for use by
Python HOWTOs
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.
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Starting with Python 3.4, it defaults to installing pip into all created virtual environments.
Show Source 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 GitHub.
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.

See also: Python Packaging User Guide: Creating and using 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

Note: 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.
«
See also: Python Packaging User Guide: Installing Python Distribution Packages

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.

See also: Python Packaging User Guide: Requirements for Installing Packages

… 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 .

See also: Python Packaging User Guide: Installing Scientific Packages

… 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.

See also: Python Packaging User Guide: Binary Extensions

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