pip error: externally-managed-environment

Sun May 3 6:35 pm EDT 2026

Key points

• This error occurs when attempting to use pip in a Python environment managed by OS such as Ubuntu 23.04 or higher.
• Create a virtual environment for you where you can use pip without limitation.

How to do it

Install required packages:

sudo apt install python3-pip

sudo apt install python3.12-venv

Go to your home directory and create your new environment:

cd

python3 -m venv .venv

Activate the environment:

source .venv/bin/activate

Now, you can install your packages like this:

pip install your_package_name

When returning to the system's default environment, use the following command:

deactivate