Can't install python packages using pip on the RaspberryPi

General
,
1

When trying to install using pip on the pi I got this error:

$ pip install buildhat
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.

  For more information visit http://rptl.io/venv

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.

This is a new feature by the Python community.
See additional data on the Raspberry Pi forum: About Python virtual environments

Tips:
Note that you can override this by using the –break-system-packages flag.
When building a new virtual environment add the –system-site-packages
If you want to still use the python packages installed on the Pi “system” python (you probably do… for accessing the picamera for example)
CLI example:

python -m venv /path/to/new/virtual/environment --system-site-packages
2

If I were you, I would you follow the advice that is in the text and do this within a virtual environment.

It’s worth googling python virtual environments and why they’re a good idea if you’re not familiar with them.

If you really know what you’re doing and have a compelling reason to install this for your system python then you possibly can do it with sudo but that’s generally not needed nor a good idea (despite the number of older pieces of advice suggesting sudo pip install xyz…)

3

Hi Neil, great to have you in our community!
You are right, the way to go is to setup a virtual environment as described in the end of my last post.
Be sure to add the --system-site-packages flag if you want to have Hailo and RPi’s Python bindings available for your project.

1 Like
4

Thanks for the welcome. Glad to be here.

I’m sorry, I originally read your post as a problem you were asking about for yourself, didn’t realise you were actually from Hailo and somehow didn’t see you’d included those details at the end as a solution, so I started answering :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like