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--- eme [2025/09/18 17:28] – created miko
+++ eme [2025/10/12 16:40] (current) – miko
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-How to solve "error: externally-managed-environment" when installing via pip3
+===== How to solve "error: externally-managed-environment" when installing via pip3 =====
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 hint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.
 </code>
+The error message says you can pass in the flag --break-system-packages but that sounds terrifying. I just want pip to stop nagging me, but let me manage my system dependencies like I have for many years.
+I think some Python developers really want people like me to use virtual environments, but that's way too much effort when I don't really care to do that, thankyouverymuch. If you want to use venv more power to you. I just like getting stuff done on my little servers.
+The easiest solution is to delete the EXTERNALLY-MANAGED file in your system Python installation:
+Raspbian:
+<code>
+sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/python3.11/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED
+</code>
+Ubuntu or alike:
+Works on CachyOS too:
+<code>
+sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/python3.13/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED
+</code>
+Note that the python3.11 version number should match whatever you have installed—it was 3.11 at the time of this blog post's writing.
+For macOS, use find /opt/homebrew -name EXTERNALLY-MANAGED to find the location (or find /usr/local -name EXTERNALLY-MANAGED on Intel Macs)