How to Install Python Package Manager pip on UNIX/Linux/macOS

Determine If pip is Installed on UNIX/Linux/macOS

On some UNIX/Linux/macOS systems, Python and pip are pre-installed. If you are unsure whether your system has pip available, you can determine this by entering the following command, which will display information about pip when it is available.

python3 -m pip --version
pip 23.0.1 from /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pip (python 3.11)

pip3 -V
pip 23.2.1 from /usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/pip (python 3.12)

Install pip on UNIX/Linux

Since most UNIX/Linux systems provide their own source for installing pip packages, you can install pip with a simple command.

In FreeBSD, you can use the command pkg install py<XY>-pip, where X denotes the major version number of Python and Y denotes the minor version number of Python, to download the pip for the corresponding version of Python, e.g., pkg install py39-pip. In OpenBSD, you can use the command pkg_add py3-pip.

pkg install py<XY>-pip

pkg_add py3-pip

In Debian, you can install pip with the command sudo apt install python3-pip. In Fedora, you can install pip with the command sudo dnf install python3-pip. In openSUSE, you can install pip with the command sudo zypper install python3-pip.

sudo apt install python3-pip

sudo dnf install python3-pip

sudo zypper install python3-pip

Install pip on macOS Using the Package ensurepip or the Script File get-pip.py

After determining that pip is not installed in macOS, you can search for and open a Terminal in Launchpad and install pip via the Python package ensurepip with the following command.

python3 -m ensurepip

The prerequisite for using ensurepip is that the package ensurepip must exist and be found by Python, so if you can’t install pip via ensurepip, then try get-pip.py. This involves downloading the script file get-pip.py, then switching Terminal to the download directory, and finally executing get-pip.py with Python.

bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py

python3 get-pip.py

The Installation Location of pip on UNIX/Linux/macOS

For UNIX/Linux, pip is generally located in the directory /usr/bin. However, pip may also appear in the directory /bin, and some systems link /usr/bin and /bin, and the two directories may display the same content.

For macOS, if pip is installed using ensurepip or get-pip.py, pip will be located in the directory of the Python that performed the installation task, which may be in the current directory of the Terminal or determined by the environment variable PATH.