The Painful Python Pip Paradox, or: How to get a working "pip" for 2.x Python
If you work with the Python programming language, you know that for
all its benefits, it also has some, uh, faults.
I would argue that among the worst of these is the split between the
2.x and 3.x python environments, with 3.x incompatible in key ways
with 2.x.
Worse, while many common applications and libraries still are based on
2.x today (e.g. 2.7.x), the python maintainers have moved aggressively
for years to deprecate 2.x, with all manner of warnings and some years
ago, removing 2.x support for the critical "pip" python package
installer application.
Without getting into the complexities of pip in 2.x and 3.x (and
shared 2.x/3.x environments), let me cut to the chase and say that if
you need to install python 2.x on a system today for crucial apps,
you'll likely find that it no longer includes pip, and 3.x pip won't
work with 2.x either.
This is, to be blunt, really a pain in the you-know-what, and I have
many bad words for the sensibilities of software engineers who think
that this sort of evolution is friendly to anyone at all.
Be that as it may, I found myself in this situation recently, and
after much Google searching found a savior's webpage with what amounts
to a standalone pip solution for exactly this situation. And damned --
it works! You can (if you choose) ignore the discussion of virtual
environments, the "payload" you're looking for is "the 2.7 version of
get-pip.py."
Now, since the script contains a binary blob, there's a certain leap
of faith involved in this -- and while I've satisfied myself of its
legitimacy, all responsibility for using it is of course your own.
So if you ever find yourself in this unenviable python pit of despair,
be sure to check out this URL, and heed well the advice contained
therein! Better yet, download the "get-pip.py" wonderful script right
now from the page and save it for a "rainy day" when you really will
need it. It could happen to you! -L
https://utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/python/Python2VirtualEnvIn2023
- - -
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
[email protected] (https://www.vortex.com/lauren)
Lauren's Blog: https://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
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Founder: Network Neutrality Squad: https://www.nnsquad.org
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Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
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