Upgrade pip to newest version on Ubuntu 16.04

Question

I'm trying to upgrade pip into the newest version (old version 9.0.1 and newest version 19.3.1. using the following commands.

pip install --upgrade pip

sudo apt-get upgrade pip

But it won't upgrade it with the following error:

**$ pip install --upgrade pip**

Collecting pip
  Using cached https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/00/b6/9cfa56b4081ad13874b0c6f96af8ce16cfbc1cb06bedf8e9164ce5551ec1/pip-19.3.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl
Installing collected packages: pip
  Found existing installation: pip 9.0.1
    Uninstalling pip-9.0.1:
      Successfully uninstalled pip-9.0.1
  Rolling back uninstall of pip

Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/basecommand.py", line 215, in main
    status = self.run(options, args)

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/commands/install.py", line 342, in run
    prefix=options.prefix_path,

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/req/req_set.py", line 784, in install
    **kwargs

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/req/req_install.py", line 851, in install
    self.move_wheel_files(self.source_dir, root=root, prefix=prefix)

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/req/req_install.py", line 1064, in move_wheel_files
    isolated=self.isolated,

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/wheel.py", line 345, in move_wheel_files
    clobber(source, lib_dir, True)

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/wheel.py", line 316, in clobber
    ensure_dir(destdir)

  File "/home/larz/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/utils/__init__.py", line 83, in ensure_dir
    os.makedirs(path)

  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/os.py", line 157, in makedirs
    mkdir(name, mode)

OSError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/pip'

I need to install keras. While I was installing it asked me to upgrade pip. When I try to upgrade pip I'm getting above errors

Solution 1

Here's my number one tip: Do not use sudo with pip. You don't need it.

Instead, use a user-level Python distribution installed via pyenv. That way you don't risk yourself messing around with system-level frameworks (and hence creating a problem removing dependencies etc.).

Install Pyenv

All you have to do is:

• Run the pyenv installer
• Follow the instructions
• Install the Python versions you need
• Choose which Python version you want to use for a given directory, or globally

For example, to install 3.7, check which versions are available:

pyenv install -l | grep 3.7

Then run:

pyenv install 3.7.4

Switch to the new version

Now, you can choose your Python version:

pyenv global 3.7.4

This switches your python to point to 3.7.4. If you want the “old” system python, run:

pyenv global system

To check which Python versions are available, run pyenv versions.

Upgrade pip

Once you've switched to a Pyenv version, you can run pip without sudo, and install/upgrade packages easily — without interfering with your system Python:

pyenv global 3.7.4
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install numpy

Solution 2

Do not use apt-get to update pip. The newest version of pip available through apt-get is old.

Quick solution:

As @kenorb is saying in the comments, you can upgrade pip using pip with sudo like this:

sudo pip install --upgrade pip

Proper solution:

Use pyenv - see the answer by @slhck

Comments

[CaldeiraG]

Can you please copy the error and paste it on your question? Images are unnecessary if the information is only text

[Chanaka Karunarathna]

Sure: I have updated

[kenorb]

Since you're upgrading pip itself, run with sudo, e.g. sudo pip install --upgrade pip.

[curusarn]

Are you sure you want to use python2.7 instead of the latest python3.8? pip is used with python2.* and pip3 is used with python3.*.

[Chanaka Karunarathna]

Yes thank you both of you. I solved it using above method. Thanks again kenorb and @curusarn. Yes I just found that pip3 used for python3. How can I set python3 as default. I tried to remove python2. But I end up with mess removing all dependencies etc..

[curusarn]

You need to install python3 separately: sudo apt-get install python3 python3-pip && sudo pip3 install --upgrade pip. Install any python3 package using sudo pip3 install package_name. To change the default python you can add this line to your ~/.bashrc: alias python=python3 Note that this only changes the default when you use it in the terminal. It's not a very good idea to change the system-wide default because some programs may only work with python2. Also, you still need to use sudo pip3 to install packages for python3.

[slhck]

I prefer not teaching users to use/require sudo for managing Python under Linux. It just creates problems down the line when people try to install/uninstall packages and inadvertently removing required system dependencies.