PIP(1)

πŸ“¦ version 22.3.1, in centos-stream 9

πŸ’… PIP(1) β€” the pip girlie's handbook

okay so bestie, welcome to the pip(1) manual page. this is the one, the icon, the main character of Python packaging. grab a strawberry drink πŸ“ and let's get into it.


🌸 NAME

pip β€” package manager for Python packages. that's the whole vibe. it manages packages. for Python. periodt.

✨ SYNOPSIS

pip <command> [options]

that's it. that's the shape of every pip invocation you will ever type at 2am 😭

πŸ¦‹ DESCRIPTION

pip is the PyPA recommended package manager for Python packages. PyPA said it, so it's canon. πŸ‘‘


πŸŽ€ OPTIONS πŸŽ€

okay this is the long part but literally every single one matters, so stay with me bestie:

  • -h, --help β€” shows help. the "help me help you" flag πŸ’–
  • --debug β€” lets unhandled exceptions propagate outside the main subroutine instead of logging them to stderr. ngl this is the "let it crash dramatically" mode πŸ’€
  • --isolated β€” runs pip in an isolated mode, ignoring environment variables and user configuration. no outside influences, just vibes 🧚
  • --require-virtualenv β€” allows pip to only run in a virtual environment; exits with an error otherwise. it's giving protective best friend 🫢
  • --python <python> β€” runs pip with the specified Python interpreter. choose your fighter ⭐
  • -v, --verbose β€” give more output. this option is additive, and can be used up to 3 times. the "tell me everything" flag πŸ™ˆ
  • -V, --version β€” shows version and exits. quick little flex ✨
  • -q, --quiet β€” give less output. also additive, also usable up to 3 times (corresponding to WARNING, ERROR, and CRITICAL logging levels). the "shhh i'm concentrating" flag 🀫
  • --log <path> β€” path to a verbose appending log. receipts, kept forever πŸ“
  • --no-input β€” disables prompting for input. no questions, no interruptions, no cap πŸ’…
  • --proxy <proxy> β€” specify a proxy in the form scheme://[user:passwd@]proxy.server:port. copy that exactly, bestie, don't freestyle it πŸ”₯
  • --retries <retries> β€” maximum number of retries each connection should attempt (default 5 times). persistence queen πŸ‘‘
  • --timeout <sec> β€” sets the socket timeout (default 15 seconds). don't wait forever for anyone 🌈
  • --exists-action <action> β€” default action when a path already exists: (s)witch, (i)gnore, (w)ipe, (b)ackup, (a)bort. pick your coping mechanism πŸŽ€
  • --trusted-host <hostname> β€” mark this host or host:port pair as trusted, even though it does not have valid or any HTTPS. highkey risky but it's your call πŸ’€
  • --cert <path> β€” path to PEM-encoded CA certificate bundle. if provided, overrides the default. see 'SSL Certificate Verification' in pip documentation for more information πŸ¦‹
  • --client-cert <path> β€” path to SSL client certificate, a single file containing the private key and the certificate in PEM format πŸ”
  • --cache-dir <dir> β€” store the cache data in <dir>. a home for your little cached treasures πŸ“
  • --no-cache-dir β€” disables the cache. clear skin, empty cache, no thoughts ✨
  • --disable-pip-version-check β€” don't periodically check PyPI to determine whether a new version of pip is available for download. implied with --no-index. living in the moment, ignoring your notifications πŸ“΅
  • --no-color β€” suppresses colored output. for the monochrome girlies πŸ–€
  • --no-python-version-warning β€” silences deprecation warnings for upcoming unsupported Pythons. ignorance is bliss, but like, deliberately πŸ™ˆ
  • --use-feature <feature> β€” enables new functionality, that may be backward incompatible. living on the edge, we love to see it πŸ”₯
  • --use-deprecated <feature> β€” enables deprecated functionality, that will be removed in the future. enjoy it while it lasts, it's on a countdown ⏳

πŸ’œ COMMANDS πŸ’œ

each of these has its own whole manual page, so this is like the group chat roster of pip's friends:

  • pip-install(1) β€” install packages. the classic. the moment. the reason you're here πŸ‘‘
  • pip-download(1) β€” download packages. grabbing without committing, we respect it πŸ’…
  • pip-uninstall(1) β€” uninstall packages. the breakup era 😭
  • pip-freeze(1) β€” output installed packages in requirements format. snapshot the whole situation πŸ“Έ
  • pip-list(1) β€” list installed packages. inventory check ✨
  • pip-show(1) β€” show information about installed packages. the little bio page πŸŽ€
  • pip-check(1) β€” verify installed packages have compatible dependencies. friendship compatibility test 🫢
  • pip-search(1) β€” search PyPI for packages. doomscrolling but productive 🌸
  • pip-wheel(1) β€” build wheels from your requirements. wheels!! πŸ›ž (sorry, had to)
  • pip-hash(1) β€” compute hashes of package archives. math girlie behavior πŸ”’
  • pip-help(1) β€” show help for pip commands. when in doubt, ask the group chat πŸ’–

🌟 AUTHOR

the pip developers. legends, all of them. 🫢

The pip developers. same legends, now with legal paperwork. πŸ“œ


real talk though: --trusted-host means skipping HTTPS validation, and --use-deprecated means you're using stuff that's literally scheduled for removal. cute flags, but read what they actually do before you ship anything, okay? πŸ’–

and that's the whole page bestie πŸŽ€ biggest slay of the day goes to pip version 22.3, dated Jun 25, 2025 β€” the PIP(1) manual, signed, sealed, and fully vibe-checked. iykyk πŸ’œβœ¨

πŸ“¦ where this page comes from