8 Essential Ways to Install Python Packages: From easy_install to pipx

1. Use easy_install

easy_install

is an older package installer that is rarely used today. Below are some installation examples:

# Find the latest version on PyPI and install
$ easy_install pkg_name

# Install or upgrade from a specific download page
$ easy_install -f http://pythonpaste.org/package_index.html 

# Install from a direct URL
$ easy_install http://example.com/path/to/MyPackage-1.2.3.tgz

# Install from a local .egg file
$ easy_install xxx.egg

2. Use pip install

pip is the most common package manager. Use pip install <package> to search and install a package from PyPI.

Some common examples:

$ pip install requests

# Install from a local wheel directory
$ pip install --no-index --find-links=/local/wheels pkg

# Install a specific version
$ pip install pkg==2.1.2

# Install a minimum version
$ pip install pkg>=2.1.2

# Install a maximum version
$ pip install pkg<=2.1.2

For more pip usage, see the author’s detailed guide.

3. Use pipx

pipx installs and manages CLI applications in isolated virtual environments.

First install pipx:

$ python3 -m pip install --user pipx
$ python3 -m userpath append ~/.local/bin

Then install a package: $ pipx install pkg Refer to the author’s article for more pipx usage.

4. Use setup.py

If you have a setup.py file, install the package directly:

# Install from source
$ python setup.py install

5. Use yum (rpm packages)

When building a package with setup.py, you can create an RPM using the bdist_rpm option. $ python setup.py bdist_rpm Install the resulting RPM with:

# Using yum
$ yum install pkg

# Using rpm directly
$ rpm -ivh pkg

6. Use pipenv

Within a pipenv virtual environment, install a package with:

$ pipenv install pkg

7. Use poetry

If you manage dependencies with poetry, install a package using:

# Install a regular dependency
$ poetry add pkg

# Install as a development dependency
$ poetry add pytest --dev

8. Use curl + pipe

Some third‑party tools can be installed by piping a script from a URL directly to Python: $ curl -sSL <url> | python For example, poetry can be installed this way:

$ curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/python-poetry/poetry/master/get-poetry.py | python

These eight methods cover most common ways to install Python packages, from legacy tools to modern environment‑aware installers.