Why does my pip install not work?
|
This is part of a series discussing everything required to get an all-encompassing grasp of the Python programming language in as short a time as possible. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, I intend for you to learn something new. Show
PIP is a powerful tool that everyone should know how to use. But everyone has also at some point been in the position where Python’s PIP has given them trouble and they have been lost as to how to proceed. I have picked up a number of methods of troubleshooting PIP that have been very successful for me. How to use PIPInstalling modules to python is painfully easy. Simply open up your terminal:
Now in your command line, type: pip install (THE NAME OF THE MODULE)Sometimes, in MacOS and Linux, you may need to instead type: sudo pip install (THE NAME OF THE MODULE)(This will not work in Windows no matter how hard you try.) Now if none of that works, that means you have a problem. So let’s try and fix that. Troubleshooting PIPBasic StuffWhen you are frustrated it is sometimes easy to forget to double check things. First make sure that you have installed Python. Assuming that, the first thing to do is to check if the module exists. The main way to do this is to go to PyPi and search for your package. If nothing comes up, make sure to do a quick google search to see if you are searching by the correct name. StackOverflow is your friend. If you do find the module you need simply copy the command from the page and paste it into your terminal and away you may go. If this still does not work, try one last thing before you continue onto the rest of the steps. Try typing: pip3 install (THE NAME OF THE MODULE)This may work if you have multiple versions of python installed, one of them being Python3. One special case you may find yourself in is that the python module used to exist and, for whatever reason, no longer is part of PIP. In this case there is but one solution I have found. This is to try and find a .whl or wheel package for the python module. I will be covering installing those kinds of files later in the article. Trying to fix PIPYou can try upgrading pip with: python -m pip install --upgrade pipor you could just try and install pip from scratch by doing the following. Copy the code from get-pip.py or save the file from the link. Then simply run the file with python. This should install pip for you and get it working. Make sure to try using pip3 if needed. Conclusive solutionIf all else fails, this has been a reliable way to get pip working on your python install. I would like to preface this with the fact that this shouldn’t be used consistently and I personally recommend simply reinstalling python after uninstalling all the current installations. The solution is to simply attempt one of the following commands: python -m pip install (THE NAME OF THE MODULE) This runs pip through python shell and is almost guaranteed to work. If this still does not work you should definitely uninstall all traces of Python before reinstalling Python3 from the Python website. Installing wheel packagesYou can install wheel packages using one of the following commands: pip install (THE PATH TO THE WHL FILE) Some users trying to install Python packages using a Command Prompt window report seeing the “pip is not recognized as an internal or external command” error. Most affected users report that the issue occurs even after installing the Python distribution and making sure that Python is added to the path variable. The issue is not specific to a certain OS since it’s reported on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. PiP is a recursive acronym for “Pip Installs Packages“. It’s essentially a package management system used to install and manage software packages written in Python. Most users make use of PiP to install and manage Python packages found in the
Python Package Index. The latest Python versions (Python 2.7.9 and later and Python 3.4) include Pip by default. We investigated this issue by looking at various user reports and trying to replicate the issue on our computers. From what we gathered, there are several scenarios that are known to trigger this particular error message: If you’re currently trying to resolve this particular error message that prevents you from using Python command in CMD, follow the methods advertised in this article. All the potential fixes below are confirmed to be working by at least one affected users. For the best results, follow the methods below in order until you find a fix that helps you to resolve the issue in your particular scenario. Method 1: Checking if PIP is added to your PATH variableLet’s start by finding out where we stand. If you don’t know if your PIP installation is added to your PATH variable, you can find it out easily by using a certain command at a CMD prompt. Knowing this will point you in the right direction and save you from trying out unnecessary steps. Note: If you already know if the path of your PIP installation is added to your PATH variable, move down to the next methods below. Here’s a quick guide on checking if the PIP installation is already in your PATH variable:
If you weren’t able to find the PiP installation path using the test above, move down to the next methods below (Method 2 and Method 3) to add PIP to the PATH environment variable. Method 2: Adding PIP to the PATH environment variable using the Windows GUIIf Method 1 revealed that the PIP installation is not set to the PATH as an environment variable and you already installed the Python distribution, you’ll need to do it manually. After completing the procedure below, you will be able to input PiP commands from a Command Prompt window. Here’s a quick guide on Adding the PiP installation to the Path environment variable using the Windows GUI:
If you’re looking for a quicker way to add the PiP location to the environment variable, follow Method 3. Method 3: Adding PIP to the PATH environment variable using CMDA quicker way to set up the PIP path environment variable is to do it directly from a CMD window. This will save you some time, but it can be a little more intimidating if you’re not used to using the terminal. Here’s a quick guide on setting the PiP path environment directly from a Command Prompt window:
Method 4: Opening the Python package without adding the PiP variableIf you’re looking for a way to install a Python package from CMD without adding PiP to the PATH environment variable, you can use a couple of different commands to install it. This also works if you used the methods above to configure the environment PATH variable but you’re still encountering the error message. Here’s a couple of ways that you can use to open Python install packages in CMD without adding the PIP variable: The Short Method:
The Long Method:
If these two last methods didn’t enable you to install the Python package from the CMD window, follow the last method below where we ensure that PiP is installed. Method 5: Ensuring that PiP is included in your Python installationBefore we go ahead and reinstall the whole Python environment, let’s see whether PiP was not omitted from the Python installation. Certain Python installers will leave PiP out of the default installation. Luckily, you can rectify this by modifying the Python installation and modifying it to install PIP. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:
Method 6: Installing Python via the executable installerIf you’ve come this far without a result, reinstalling Python along with its components will likely resolve the “pip is not recognized as an internal or external command” error. The easiest way to do this is by using the Python executable installer. If you configure it correctly, it will install PiP automatically. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:
Kevin is a dynamic and self-motivated information technology professional, with a Thorough knowledge of all facets pertaining to network infrastructure design, implementation and administration. Superior record of delivering simultaneous large-scale mission critical projects on time and under budget. |
