marty@Marty-PC:~/git/exllama$ pip install numpy
error: externally-managed-environment
× This environment is externally managed
╰─> To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install
python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to
install.
If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package,
create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv.
Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make
sure you have python3-full installed.
If you wish to install a non-Debian packaged Python application,
it may be easiest to use pipx install xyz, which will manage a
virtual environment for you. Make sure you have pipx installed.
See /usr/share/doc/python3.12/README.venv for more information.
note: If you believe this is a mistake, please contact your Python installation or OS distribution provider. You can override this, at the risk of breaking your Python installation or OS, by passing --break-system-packages.
hint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.
I get this error every time I try install any kind of python package. So far, I always just used the --break-system-packages flag, but that seems, well, rather unsafe and breaking.
To this day, I see newly written guides, specifically for Linux, which don’t point out this behaviour. They just say [...] And then install this python package with 'pip install numpy'
Is this something specific to my system, or is this a global thing?
I think the error is quite verbose and tells you everything you need to know.
Generally, do not install packages outside of a virtual environment unless you know what you’re doing. Given the option, use your package manager version of the same package. Outside of that, use your python environment manager of choice to install stuff. There are lots of options: conda, uv, venv, virtualenv, pipenv, etc.
The error exists to warn you that you could potentially break critical system installed packages by installing other things at a user or system level with pip.