Pip is a python package manager for installing, maintaining, and upgrading Python packages. It is used to search, download and install packages from the Python package index as well as other indexes. Python comes in either python 2 or Python 3. Most systems today will install Python 3 as the default. For systems that depend on Python 2, the steps below also show you how to install it. Pip isn’t installed by default on Ubuntu. But installing it is pretty easy. The steps below will guide you through the installation and management of Python packages via Pip. For students or new users looking for a Linux system to start learning on, the easiest place to start is Ubuntu Linux OS. It’s a great Linux operating system for beginners and folks looking for easier Linux distribution to use. Ubuntu is an open-source Linux operating system that runs on desktops, laptops, servers, and other devices.
How to install Python Pip on Ubuntu Linux
As described above, Pip is a python package manager for installing, maintaining, and upgrading Python packages. It is used to search, download and install packages from the Python package index as well as other indexes. Below is how to install it on Ubuntu Linux.
Install pip for Python 3
If you’re running the latest Python version and you wish to use pip to manage packages, then use the steps below. The commands below install PiP to be used with Python version 3. When you run the commands above, all dependencies that are required for PiP to function will be installed alongside PiP. To validate whether PiP is installed, simply run the commands below: You should see a similar line below: That’s how to get PiP installed for use with Python 3.
Install pip for Python 2
If you want Python 2 for legacy systems, then use the steps below to install it as well as pip for Python 2. Again, PiP doesn’t come installed with Ubuntu, so you will have to run the commands below to install it. Now that Python 2 is installed, you can now install pip using get-pip.py script. After enabling the repository and installing it above, simply download the script and run it to install Python globally. The script will also install pip, setup tools, and wheel.
Installing Packages with PiP
Now that PiP is installed, you can begin installing Python packages using it. If you don’t already how to use PiP, simply run its help command to display helpful command options and how to use them. You should see helpful commands and how to use them as shown below When working with Python projects, it’s always a good idea to create a virtual environment. Generally, the PiP package installer is used within Python virtual environments where each environment is isolated for specific projects. After each project is done, it can be discarded easily. For this post, you want to create a PiP virtual environment within your home folder or directory. Simply run the command below to create a Python 3 virtual environment called confidential. First, install Python virtual environment module by running the commands below: Then create a new environment called confidential Simply activate the environment by running the commands below: Within this specific environment, you can begin installing packages via PiP to use Python 3. For example, to install a Python package called python-openstackclient, simply run the commands below: Example: That should install the python-openstackclient package to use with Python 3. To upgrade packages via PiP, simply run the commands below: To uninstall packages via PiP, simply run the commands below: When you’re done with the Python project, simply run the deactivate command to return to your normal shell. That’s it! Conclusion: This post shows you how to install PiP on Ubuntu 18.04 | 16.04 to install and manage Python packages or modules. If you find any error above, please use the comment form below to report it.
