Resolving the "externally-managed-environment" Error When Installing frappe-bench on Ubuntu

Frappe Framework
1

Hi everyone,

I’m encountering an issue while trying to install frappe-bench on my Ubuntu system using the command sudo pip3 install frappe-bench. The error message I’m receiving is:

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.

Steps to Resolve the Error

Option 1: Using a Virtual Environment

  1. Install the venv module:
sudo apt install python3-venv
  1. Create a virtual environment :
python3 -m venv frappe-bench-env
  1. Activate the virtual environment:
  • On Linux/macOS:
source frappe-bench-env/bin/activate
  • On Windows:
.\frappe-bench-env\Scripts\activate
  1. Install frappe-bench within the virtual environment:
pip install frappe-bench

Option 2: Using pipx

pipx is a tool for installing and running Python applications in isolated environments.

  1. Install pipx:
sudo apt install pipx
  1. Ensure pipx path is added to your shell profile:
pipx ensurepath
  1. Install frappe-bench using pipx:
pipx install frappe-bench

These methods ensure that the frappe-bench installation does not interfere with your system’s Python packages, avoiding the “externally-managed-environment” error. By using virtual environments or pipx, you can manage your Python packages efficiently and safely.

If anyone has additional tips or alternative solutions, please share them!

Thanks!

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