I am trying to install ipython but get permission error

Question

I use command pip3 install ipython but getting these error may I need to install virtualenv ?

Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/basecommand.py", line 215, in main
    status = self.run(options, args)
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/commands/install.py", line 342, in run
    prefix=options.prefix_path,
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/req/req_set.py", line 784, in install
    **kwargs
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/req/req_install.py", line 851, in install
    self.move_wheel_files(self.source_dir, root=root, prefix=prefix)
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/req/req_install.py", line 1064, in move_wheel_files
    isolated=self.isolated,
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/wheel.py", line 345, in move_wheel_files
    clobber(source, lib_dir, True)
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/wheel.py", line 316, in clobber
    ensure_dir(destdir)
  File "/home/saurabh/.local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pip/utils/__init__.py", line 83, in ensure_dir
    os.makedirs(path)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.5/os.py", line 241, in makedirs
    mkdir(name, mode)
PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/IPython'

NO! Do **NOT** use `sudo` with `pip`. @cᴏʟᴅsᴘᴇᴇᴅ, I am actually surprised to hear such a thing from you. See [this](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21055859/what-are-the-risks-of-running-sudo-pip) — adder, Oct 06 '17 at 06:21
Sudo pip is a very dangerous game to play. There are much safer ways around this issue that would have come up in a simple Google search. — Stuart Buckingham, Oct 06 '17 at 06:25

Duc Filan · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-06T06:30:40.140

The error message reveals the problem: You don't have permission to write to the folder since /usr/... is a system folder.

PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/IPython'

You need to use sudo to install globally or just install them using --user option which installs the package only for the current user and not for all:

pip install ipython --user

Or maybe a better option is to use a virtual environment which isolates packages for you.

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Oct 06 '17 at 10:08

0

Whenever any permission issues/error are there during installation of any package always add sudo before your installation command. Hence command will be:

sudo pip3 install IPython

edited Oct 06 '17 at 10:08

Duc Filan

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answered Oct 06 '17 at 07:07

Tanmay

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I am trying to install ipython but get permission error

2 Answers2