pip-vs-pipx.md

title	date	tags	aliases
2024-06-10 - TIL - pip vs pipx	2024-06-10 14:37:04 -0700	pip-vs-pipx resources til	today-i-learned things-i-learned

2024-06-10 - TIL - pip vs pipx

What is the difference between pip vs pipx? When should you use one or the other?

pip Use Cases

• You need to install Python libraries to import into your project.
• You just want a general-purpose package manager for Python.
• You don't want to learn/manage multiple tools.

pipx Use Cases

• You need to install and run Python command-line applications in isolated environments.
• You want to avoid conflicts between different projects' dependencies on the same system.
• You are just installing and running command-line applications and are not doing any Python development.

Usage

$ tldr pip

pip

Python package manager.
Some subcommands such as "pip install" have their own usage documentation.
More information: <https://pip.pypa.io>.

- Install a package (see "pip install" for more install examples):
    pip install package

- Install a package to the user\'s directory instead of the system-wide default location:
    pip install --user package

- Upgrade a package:
    pip install --upgrade package

- Uninstall a package:
    pip uninstall package

- Save installed packages to file:
    pip freeze > requirements.txt

- Show installed package info:
    pip show package

- Install packages from a file:
    pip install --requirement requirements.txt


$ tldr pipx

pipx

Install and run Python applications in isolated environments.
More information: <https://github.com/pypa/pipx>.

- Run an app in a temporary virtual environment:
    pipx run pycowsay moo

- Install a package in a virtual environment and add entry points to path:
    pipx install package

- List installed packages:
    pipx list

- Run an app in a temporary virtual environment with a package name different from the executable:
    pipx run --spec httpx-cli httpx http://www.github.com

- Inject dependencies into an existing virtual environment:
    pipx inject package dependency1 dependency2 ...

- Install a package in a virtual environment with pip arguments:
    pipx install --pip-args='pip-args' package

Use Cases

• Use pip for general-purpose package management and Python development.
• Use pipx for installing and running command-line applications in isolated environments.
• Use pipx over pip to avoid conflicts between different projects' dependencies on the same system.

References

• Explain pip vs pipx, which is better, and why