NLTK download SSL: Certificate verify failed

Question

I get the following error when trying to install Punkt for nltk:

nltk.download('punkt')    
 [nltk_data] Error loading Punkt: <urlopen error [SSL:
 [nltk_data]     CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed
 [nltk_data]     (_ssl.c:590)>
False

score 179 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 14 '18 at 14:27

179

TLDR: Here is a better solution: https://github.com/gunthercox/ChatterBot/issues/930#issuecomment-322111087

Note that when you run nltk.download(), a window will pop up and let you select which packages to download (Download is not automatically started right away).

To complement the accepted answer, the following is a complete list of directories that will be searched on Mac (not limited to the one mentioned in the accepted answer): - '/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/nltk_data' - '/usr/share/nltk_data' - '/usr/local/share/nltk_data' - '/usr/lib/nltk_data' - '/usr/local/lib/nltk_data' - '/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_VIRTUAL_ENV_DIRECTORY/nltk_data' - '/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_VIRTUAL_ENV_DIRECTORY/share/nltk_data' - '/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_VIRTUAL_ENV_DIRECTORY/lib/nltk_data'

In case the link above dies, here is the solution pasted in its entirety:

import nltk
import ssl

try:
    _create_unverified_https_context = ssl._create_unverified_context
except AttributeError:
    pass
else:
    ssl._create_default_https_context = _create_unverified_https_context

nltk.download()

Run the above code in your favourite Python IDE or via the command line.

edited Nov 14 '18 at 14:27

pookie

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answered May 18 '18 at 08:10

fstang

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Worked like a gem – Jason Kao Jun 23 '19 at 01:38
Yes, the download when to my Users directory path and it worked like a charm. Very helpful since I did not have admin privileges. I actually had tried the accepted answer with the help of an admin standing over my shoulder, and that did not work for me. – demongolem Dec 04 '19 at 18:39
years later, this solution still works! Thank you! – User2345 Jan 29 '22 at 20:48
The solution didn't work for me and it may not be enough for a separate answer on here, BUT, for the record and what has worked for me is to disable my VPN. In other words, a connection may sometimes not be established with this error message in return, if the case of your VPN is blacklistted etc. – Majte Jan 11 '23 at 21:29
For some reason I wasn't able to click on- and download the module I needed from the launched window. It just didn't install. To fix that I used the exact same code as above but added the identifier inside nltk.downlaod(). The model I needed had the identifier "punkt", hence replacing nltk.download() with nltk.download('punkt') by-passed the window and downloaded my package. Other than that, a perfect solution, thanks, i'm upvoting. – chilifan Jun 27 '23 at 19:05

score 64 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 25 '19 at 05:55

64

This works by disabling SSL check!

import nltk
import ssl

try:
    _create_unverified_https_context = ssl._create_unverified_context
except AttributeError:
    pass
else:
    ssl._create_default_https_context = _create_unverified_https_context

nltk.download()

answered Apr 25 '19 at 05:55

ishwardgret

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This one worked for me! Not the first one. I needed to disable SSL as yo mentioned! – chikitin Sep 08 '19 at 22:03
this is more reliable than looking for commands that go missing every OS-X update. – dcsan Jan 09 '20 at 00:50
Thank you so much, this worked like a charm. I'm using Python 3.8.0 on OSX 10.14.6 (Mojave), for what it's worth. – David Maness Mar 06 '20 at 18:43

score 39 · Answer 3 · edited Mar 23 '18 at 09:59

39

Run the Python interpreter and type the commands:

import nltk
nltk.download()

from here: http://www.nltk.org/data.html

if you get an SSL/Certificate error, run the following command

bash /Applications/Python 3.6/Install Certificates.command

from here: ssl.SSLError: [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed (_ssl.c:749)

edited Mar 23 '18 at 09:59

Selvaram G

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answered Sep 12 '17 at 03:07

Adi

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Works for Python 3.7.4 and Mac OSX Mojave – Rahul Saini Sep 22 '19 at 12:38
Works on big sur :) – Nabin Oct 17 '20 at 06:58
1

I like this solution better than the accepted answer, since it involves making Python’s SSL checks actually work instead of disabling SSL cert checks altogether. Probably low risk, but the accepted answer appears to expose you to a MITM attack. – Paul Cantrell Oct 08 '21 at 18:09
For who is running Python3.10...just run this command "/Applications/Python 3.10/Install Certificates.command" – Arthur Vaz Aug 24 '22 at 13:47
A great solution for Mac-Pro-m2 – Amin Zayeromali Apr 18 '23 at 16:43

score 29 · Answer 4 · edited Sep 26 '22 at 13:32

29

Search 'Install Certificates.command' in the finder and open it.

Then do the following steps in the terminal:

python3
import nltk
nltk.download()

edited Sep 26 '22 at 13:32

xxx

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answered Dec 30 '19 at 12:14

yash

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Thanks. Work fine! For macOS 10.13.6 – horacioibrahim May 16 '20 at 23:18

score 28 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 25 '16 at 10:27

The downloader script is broken. As a temporal workaround can manually download the punkt tokenizer from here and then place the unzipped folder in the corresponding location. The default folders for each OS are:

Windows: C:\nltk_data\tokenizers
OSX: /usr/local/share/nltk_data/tokenizers
Unix: /usr/share/nltk_data/tokenizers

score 11 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 21 '21 at 10:29

This is how I solved it for MAC OS. Initially after installing nltk, I was getting the SSL error.

Solution: Goto

cd /Applications/Python\ 3.8

Run the command

./Install\ Certificates.command

Now if you try again, it should work!

Thanks a lot to this article!

score 7 · Answer 7 · answered Aug 28 '19 at 20:06

You just need to Install the certificate doing this simple step

In the python application folder double-click on the file 'Certificates.command'

this will make a prompt window show in your screen and basically will automatically install the certificate for you, close this window and try again.

score 4 · Answer 8 · answered Jan 02 '19 at 08:27

4

My solution is:

Download punkt.zip from here and unzip
Create nltk_data/tokenizers folders under home folder
Put punkt folder under tokenizers folder

answered Jan 02 '19 at 08:27

gocen

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score 3 · Answer 9 · answered Aug 18 '19 at 23:06

3

There is a very simple way to fix all of this as written in the formal bug report for anyone else coming across this problem recently (e.g. 2019) and using MacOS. From the bug report at https://bugs.python.org/issue28150:

...there is a simple double-clickable or command-line-runnable script ("/Applications/Python 3.6/Install Certificates.command") that does two things: 1. uses pip to install certifi and 2. creates a symlink in the OpenSSL directory to certifi's installed bundle location.

Simply running the "Install Certificates.command" script worked for me on MacOS (10.15 beta as of this writing) and I was off and running.

answered Aug 18 '19 at 23:06

Michael Hawkins

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Using just released MacOS 10.15 and was unable to find "Install Certificates.command" file. There is no `/Applications/Python 3.x` directory. – Kirill Oct 09 '19 at 16:27
Which version of Python are you using? – Michael Hawkins Oct 18 '19 at 21:12
Python 3.7.3 from `/usr/bin/python3` pre-installed on macOS 10.15 – Kirill Oct 18 '19 at 22:04
I'm also using Python 3, but not pre-installed. Perhaps that is the difference. Try installing another version maybe and seeing if the directory exists for you to take these actions. Either that or the directory was changed in later versions (after 3.6), though I doubt it. I'll verify when I get back to my Mac. – Michael Hawkins Oct 22 '19 at 00:03

score 3 · Answer 10 · edited Feb 18 '23 at 23:36

3

For mac users, just copy paste the following in the terminal:

/Applications/Python\ 3.10/Install\ Certificates.command ; exit;

edited Feb 18 '23 at 23:36

xxx

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answered Oct 14 '22 at 18:34

Avisha Rai M

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Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers [in the help center](/help/how-to-answer). – user11717481 Oct 18 '22 at 10:21

score 2 · Answer 11 · answered Jan 08 '19 at 10:27

2

My solution after nothing worked. I navigated, via the GUI to the Python 3.7 folder, opened the 'Certificates.command' file in terminal and the SSL issue was immediately resolved.

answered Jan 08 '19 at 10:27

Cormac O'Keeffe

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score 2 · Answer 12 · answered Jul 07 '20 at 10:01

2

A bit late to the party but I just entered Certificates.command into Spotlight which found it and ran it. All fixed in seconds.

I'm running mac Catalina and using python 3.7 installed by Homebrew

answered Jul 07 '20 at 10:01

Chez

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score 1 · Answer 13 · edited Dec 26 '16 at 06:11

1

It means that you are not using HTTPS to work consistently with other run time dependencies for Python etc.

If you are using Linux (Ubuntu)

~$ sudo apt-get install ca-certificates

Should solve the issue.

If you are using this in a script with a docker file, you have to make sure you have install the the ca-certificates modules in your docker file.

edited Dec 26 '16 at 06:11

Sibeesh Venu

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answered Dec 26 '16 at 04:26

enkidoo

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score 0 · Answer 14 · answered Jan 15 '18 at 09:16

First go to the path /Applications/Python 3.6/ and run Install Certificates.command

You will admin rights for the same.

If you are unable to download it, then as other answer suggest you can download directly and place it. You need to place them in the following directory structure.

> nltk_data
          > corpora
                   > brown
                   > conll2000
                   > movie_reviews
                   > wordnet
          > taggers
                   > averaged_perceptron_tagger
          > tokenizers
                      > punkt

score 0 · Answer 15 · answered Nov 27 '22 at 21:58

0

Updating the python certificates worked for me.

At the top of your script, keep:

import nltk
nltk.download('punkt')

In a separate terminal run (Mac):

bash /Applications/Python <version>/Install Certificates.command

answered Nov 27 '22 at 21:58

PtrWrangler

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score 0 · Answer 16 · answered Jul 27 '23 at 16:08

0

For mac: Search Install Certificates.command in the finder and open it.

After successfully finished, just start download

import nltk
nltk.download('wordnet')

answered Jul 27 '23 at 16:08

SaimumIslam27

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score -1 · Answer 17 · answered Nov 21 '22 at 10:38

-1

For me, the solution was much simpler: I was still connected to my corporate network/VPN which blocks certain types of downloads. Switching the network made the SSL error disappear.

answered Nov 21 '22 at 10:38

felixjrd

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NLTK download SSL: Certificate verify failed

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