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Default python is 2.7; default python3 is 3.6, which is the version I use; Ubuntu version 18.04. I'm trying to get newly downloaded python libraries to be installed in a python 3 library.

charles@BW2:~$ pip3 --version
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/pip3", line 9, in <module>
  from pip import main
ImportError: cannot import name 'main'

What to do?

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8
  • Instead of "$ pip..." do "$ python3 -m pip..."?? Also check whether your current dir has a file called "main.py"
    – Rusi
    Aug 14, 2020 at 15:48
  • "$ python3 -m pip --version" yields the pip in the python 2.7 library. Using pip3 instead yields a "No module named pip3" error. There is no main.py in /usr/bin/.
    – cbro630
    Aug 14, 2020 at 16:13
  • And if you just start python3 at shell what version is shown?
    – Rusi
    Aug 14, 2020 at 16:14
  • did you actually install python3-pip? (if there's no module named pip)
    – Philip Couling
    Aug 14, 2020 at 16:14
  • 1
    Thank you, this has pointed me to the correct explanation of the problem.
    – cbro630
    Aug 17, 2020 at 21:56

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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python3 -m pip ARG [ARG [...]]

or

/path/to/python3 -m pip ARG [ARG [...]]

The latter is the typical way to invoke a module such as pip from a specific interpreter. The former will only work if python3 is on your PATH and is a valid interpreter.

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  • @cbro630, Unfortunately due to limitations I cannot yet comment on the question itself, but have you considered (1) installing a second, newer Python interpreter and (2) creating a virtual environment for installing libraries? Although these do not address your original issue, they may provide a suitable workaround.
    – Jordan Deyton
    Aug 18, 2020 at 3:44

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