PIP-WHEEL(1)

📦 version 23.2.1, in centos-stream 9

🌸 NAME 🌸

pip-wheel — the manual page for the pip wheel command, bestie. It’s literally right here in the pip manual, and it’s giving build-tool main character energy. 💅

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

Okay so pip wheel builds Wheel archives for your requirements and dependencies. A Wheel is a built-package format, and the iconic advantage is that it means you do not have to recompile your software during every single install. For the whole lore, see the wheel docs: https://wheel.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

pip wheel uses the build system interface as described here: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/reference/build-system/

🛠️ USAGE 🛠️

python -m pip wheel [options] <requirement specifier> ...
python -m pip wheel [options] -r <requirements file> ...
python -m pip wheel [options] [-e] <vcs project url> ...
python -m pip wheel [options] [-e] <local project path> ...
python -m pip wheel [options] <archive url/path> ...

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -w, --wheel-dir <dir> — Build wheels into <dir>, where the default is the current working directory. Yes, it just drops them right where you’re standing. 🫶
  • --no-binary <format_control> — Do not use binary packages. Can be supplied multiple times, and each time adds to the existing value. Accepts either :all: to disable all binary packages, :none: to empty the set (notice the colons, bestie), or one or more package names with commas between them (no colons).
Heads up: some packages are tricky to compile and may fail to install when this option is used on them. 😭
  • --only-binary <format_control> — Do not use source packages. Can be supplied multiple times, and each time adds to the existing value. Accepts either :all: to disable all source packages, :none: to empty the set, or one or more package names with commas between them.
Packages without binary distributions will fail to install when this option is used on them. 💀
  • --prefer-binary — Prefer older binary packages over newer source packages. Older binary > newer source, no cap. ✨
  • --no-build-isolation — Disable isolation when building a modern source distribution.
Build dependencies specified by PEP 518 must already be installed if this option is used. So like, pre-install your little build besties first. 🧚
  • --use-pep517 — Use PEP 517 for building source distributions (use --no-use-pep517 to force legacy behaviour). Slay, but the legacy behaviour is still right there. 👑
  • --check-build-dependencies — Check the build dependencies when PEP517 is used. A tiny vibe check for your build deps. 🔥
  • -c, --constraint <file> — Constrain versions using the given constraints file. This option can be used multiple times. Stack those constraints, honestly. 🎀
  • -e, --editable <path/url> — Install a project in editable mode (i.e. setuptools "develop mode") from a local project path or a VCS url. Very “live your truth, edit in place” of it. 💖
  • -r, --requirement <file> — Install from the given requirements file. This option can be used multiple times. Yes, multiple times. Requirements files can absolutely be a whole stack. 🦋
  • --src <dir> — Directory to check out editable projects into. The default in a virtualenv is <venv path>/src. The default for global installs is <current dir>/src. ✨
  • --ignore-requires-python — Ignore the Requires-Python information. Just ignore it, bestie. 🙈
  • --no-deps — Don’t install package dependencies. You’re on your own, and honestly that’s a choice. 💀
  • --progress-bar <progress_bar> — Specify whether the progress bar should be used [on, off] (default: on). Keep the little bar, it’s cute. 🌈
  • --no-verify — Don’t verify if built wheel is valid. No vibe check for the wheel. 😭
  • -C, --config-settings <settings> — Configuration settings to be passed to the PEP 517 build backend. Settings take the form KEY=VALUE. Use multiple --config-settings options to pass multiple keys to the backend. 🫶
  • --build-option <options> — Extra arguments to be supplied to setup.py bdist_wheel. Giving the build command little extras. 🎀
  • --global-option <options> — Extra global options to be supplied to the setup.py call before the install or bdist_wheel command. 🌸
  • --pre — Include pre-release and development versions. By default, pip only finds stable versions. Pre-release girlies, this one’s for you. 💅
  • --require-hashes — Require a hash to check each requirement against, for repeatable installs. This option is implied when any package in a requirements file has a --hash option. Integrity check, periodt. 🔥
  • --no-clean — Don’t clean up build directories. Leave the mess, honestly. 🫶

👑 AUTHOR 👑

pip developers — iconic behavior, truly.

The pip developers — protected and serving.

💖 That’s the tea, bestie: this page is from pip version 23.2, dated Jun 25, 2025. Go build those wheels and make them slay! 🎀

📦 where this page comes from