From 18636b1d17c6b9fc76a5c3215a55a11669a6750b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Hugo van Kemenade <1324225+hugovk@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:52:26 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Docs: Update 'Installing Python modules' --- Doc/installing/index.rst | 90 ++++++++++++++-------------------------- 1 file changed, 31 insertions(+), 59 deletions(-) diff --git a/Doc/installing/index.rst b/Doc/installing/index.rst index 412005f3ec82f4..c372d9f4741800 100644 --- a/Doc/installing/index.rst +++ b/Doc/installing/index.rst @@ -1,14 +1,14 @@ -.. highlight:: none +.. highlight:: shell .. _installing-index: ************************* -Installing Python Modules +Installing Python modules ************************* 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. +available for other Python developers to use under open-source license terms. This allows Python users to share and collaborate effectively, benefiting from the solutions others have already created to common (and sometimes @@ -32,34 +32,24 @@ creating and sharing your own Python projects, refer to the Key terms ========= -* ``pip`` is the preferred installer program. Starting with Python 3.4, it +* :program:`pip` is the preferred installer program. It is included by default with the Python binary installers. * A *virtual environment* is a semi-isolated Python environment that allows packages to be installed for use by 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. Starting with Python 3.4, it - defaults to installing ``pip`` into all created virtual environments. -* ``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 +* ``venv`` is the standard tool for creating virtual environments. + It defaults to installing :program:`pip` into all created virtual environments. +* ``virtualenv`` is a third-party alternative (and predecessor) to + ``venv``. +* The `Python Package Index (PyPI) `__ is a public repository of open source licensed packages made available for use by other Python users. -* the `Python Packaging Authority +* 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). .. versionchanged:: 3.5 The use of ``venv`` is now recommended for creating virtual environments. @@ -77,7 +67,7 @@ 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:: +dependencies from PyPI:: python -m pip install SomePackage @@ -104,7 +94,7 @@ explicitly:: python -m pip install --upgrade SomePackage -More information and resources regarding ``pip`` and its capabilities can be +More information and resources regarding :program:`pip` and its capabilities can be found in the `Python Packaging User Guide `__. Creation of virtual environments is done through the :mod:`venv` module. @@ -122,19 +112,6 @@ 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. - -.. seealso:: - - `Python Packaging User Guide: Requirements for Installing Packages - `__ - - .. installing-per-user-installation: ... install packages just for the current user? @@ -148,10 +125,10 @@ package just for the current user, rather than for all users of the system. --------------------------------------- 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 +aren't currently easy to install using :program:`pip` directly. +It will often be easier for users to install these packages by `other means `__ -rather than attempting to install them with ``pip``. +rather than attempting to install them with :program:`pip`. .. seealso:: @@ -164,22 +141,18 @@ rather than attempting to install them with ``pip``. 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``:: +:program:`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 + python3 -m pip install SomePackage # default Python 3 + python3.14 -m pip install SomePackage # specifically Python 3.14 -Appropriately versioned ``pip`` commands may also be available. +Appropriately versioned :program:`pip` commands may also be available. -On Windows, use the ``py`` Python launcher in combination with the ``-m`` +On Windows, use the :program:`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 + py -3 -m pip install SomePackage # default Python 3 + py -3.14 -m pip install SomePackage # specifically Python 3.14 .. other questions: @@ -199,39 +172,38 @@ 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``. +is unexpectedly upgraded using :program:`pip`. On such systems, it is often better to use a virtual environment or a -per-user installation when installing packages with ``pip``. +per-user installation when installing packages with :program:`pip`. Pip not installed ----------------- -It is possible that ``pip`` does not get installed by default. One potential fix is:: +It is possible that :program:`pip` does not get installed by default. One potential fix is:: python -m ensurepip --default-pip -There are also additional resources for `installing pip. -`__ +There are also additional resources for `installing pip +`__. Installing binary extensions ---------------------------- -Python has typically relied heavily on source based distribution, with end +Python once 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, +With the introduction of the binary wheel format, and the +ability to publish wheels through PyPI, this problem is diminishing, 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 +that are not yet available as pre-built wheel files may also help with obtaining other binary extensions without needing to build them locally. .. seealso::