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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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What is it with this externally-managed-environment pip install error? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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marty@Marty-PC:~/git/exllama$ pip install numpy
error: externally-managed-environment

× This environment is externally managed
╰─> To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install
    python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to
    install.
    
    If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package,
    create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv.
    Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make
    sure you have python3-full installed.
    
    If you wish to install a non-Debian packaged Python application,
    it may be easiest to use pipx install xyz, which will manage a
    virtual environment for you. Make sure you have pipx installed.
    
    See /usr/share/doc/python3.12/README.venv for more information.

note: If you believe this is a mistake, please contact your Python installation or OS distribution provider. You can override this, at the risk of breaking your Python installation or OS, by passing --break-system-packages.
hint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.

I get this error every time I try install any kind of python package. So far, I always just used the --break-system-packages flag, but that seems, well, rather unsafe and breaking.

To this day, I see newly written guides, specifically for Linux, which don't point out this behaviour. They just say [...] And then install this python package with 'pip install numpy'

Is this something specific to my system, or is this a global thing?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's mostly Debian-focused, but you should probably use venvs. They allow you to have different versions of Python packages for different applications. I especially like it when using it in combination with pythonz for applications that require a different version than the system Python.

I find they prevent the system Python from being a complete pile of anarchy.

Like others have said, the error tells you everything you need to know.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Reading the GitHub page for pythonz makes it seem a little easier to get into than pyenv. I think that might just be documentation learning curve though. Have you tried both?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I haven't used both.