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+.. highlightlang:: none
+
+.. _installing-index:
+
+*****************************
+  Installing Python Modules
+*****************************
+
+:Email: distutils-sig@python.org
+
+As a popular open source development project, Python has an active
+supporting community of contributors and users that also make their software
+available for other Python developers to use under open source license terms.
+
+This allows Python users to share and collaborate effectively, benefiting
+from the solutions others have already created to common (and sometimes
+even rare!) problems, as well as potentially contributing their own
+solutions to the common pool.
+
+This guide covers the installation part of the process. For a guide to
+creating and sharing your own Python projects, refer to the
+:ref:`distribution guide <distributing-index>`.
+
+.. note::
+
+   For corporate and other institutional users, be aware that many
+   organisations have their own policies around using and contributing to
+   open source software. Please take such policies into account when making
+   use of the distribution and installation tools provided with Python.
+
+
+Key terms
+=========
+
+* ``pip`` is the preferred installer program. Starting with Python 3.4, it
+  is included by default with the Python binary installers.
+* a virtual environment is a semi-isolated Python environment that allows
+  packages to be installed for use by a particular application, rather than
+  being installed system wide
+* ``pyvenv`` is the standard tool for creating virtual environments, and has
+  been part of Python since Python 3.3. Starting with Python 3.4, it
+  defaults to installing ``pip`` into all created virtual environments
+* the `Python Package Index <https://pypi.python.org/pypi>`__ is a public
+  repository of open source licensed packages made available for use by
+  other Python users
+* the `Python Packaging Authority
+  <http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/future.html>`__ are the group of
+  developers and documentation authors responsible for the maintenance and
+  evolution of the standard packaging tools and the associated metadata and
+  file format standards. They maintain a variety of tools, documentation
+  and issue trackers on both `GitHub <https://github.com/pypa>`__ and
+  `BitBucket <https://bitbucket.org/pypa/>`__.
+* ``distutils`` is the original build and distribution system first added to
+  the Python standard library in 1998. While direct use of ``distutils`` is
+  being phased out, it still laid the foundation for the current packaging
+  and distribution infrastructure, and it not only remains part of the
+  standard library, but its name lives on in other ways (such as the name
+  of the mailing list used to coordinate Python packaging standards
+  development).
+
+
+Basic usage
+===========
+
+The standard packaging tools are all designed to be used from the command
+line. For Windows users, the examples below assume that the option to
+adjust the system PATH environment variable was selected when installing
+Python. For Linux users, the command to install into the system version of
+Python 3 is likely to be ``pip3`` rather than ``pip``.
+
+The following command will install the latest version of a module and its
+dependencies from the Python Package Index::
+
+    pip install SomePackage
+
+It's also possible to specify an exact or minimum version directly on the
+command line::
+
+    pip install SomePackage==1.0.4    # specific version
+    pip install 'SomePackage>=1.0.4'  # minimum version
+
+Normally, if a suitable module is already installed, attempting to install
+it again will have no effect. Upgrading existing modules must be requested
+explicitly::
+
+    pip install --upgrade SomePackage
+
+More information and resources regarding ``pip`` and its capabilities can be
+found in the `Python Packaging User Guide <http://packaging.python.org>`__.
+
+``pyvenv`` has its own documentation at :ref:`scripts-pyvenv`. Installing
+into an active virtual environment uses the commands shown above.
+
+.. seealso::
+
+    `Python Packaging User Guide: Installing Python packages
+    <http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/tutorial.html#installing-python-packages>`__
+
+
+How do I ...?
+=============
+
+These are quick answers or links for some common tasks.
+
+... install ``pip`` in versions of Python prior to Python 3.4?
+--------------------------------------------------------------
+
+Python only started bundling ``pip`` with Python 3.4. For earlier versions,
+``pip`` needs to be "bootstrapped" as described in the Python Packaging
+User Guide.
+
+.. seealso::
+
+   `Python Packaging User Guide: Installing the Tools
+   <http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/tutorial.html#installing-the-tools>`__
+
+
+.. installing-per-user-installation:
+
+... install packages just for the current user?
+-----------------------------------------------
+
+Passing the ``--user`` option to ``pip install`` will install a package
+just for the current user, rather than for all users of the system.
+
+
+... install scientific Python packages?
+---------------------------------------
+
+A number of scientific Python packages have complex binary dependencies, and
+aren't currently easy to install using ``pip`` directly. At this point in
+time, it will often be easier for users to install these packages by
+`other means
+<http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/platforms.html#installing-scientific-packages>`__
+rather than attempting to install them with ``pip``.
+
+.. seealso::
+
+   `Python Packaging User Guide: Installing Scientific Packages
+   <http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/platforms.html#installing-scientific-packages>`__
+
+
+... work with multiple versions of Python installed in parallel?
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+On Linux, Mac OS X and other POSIX systems, use the versioned Python commands
+in combination with the ``-m`` switch to run the appropriate copy of
+``pip``::
+
+   python2   -m pip install SomePackage  # default Python 2
+   python2.7 -m pip install SomePackage  # specifically Python 2.7
+   python3   -m pip install SomePackage  # default Python 3
+   python3.4 -m pip install SomePackage  # specifically Python 3.4
+
+(appropriately versioned ``pip`` commands may also be available)
+
+On Windows, use the ``py`` Python launcher in combination with the ``-m``
+switch::
+
+   py -2   -m pip install SomePackage  # default Python 2
+   py -2.7 -m pip install SomePackage  # specifically Python 2.7
+   py -3   -m pip install SomePackage  # default Python 3
+   py -3.4 -m pip install SomePackage  # specifically Python 3.4
+
+.. other questions:
+
+   Once the Development & Deployment part of PPUG is fleshed out, some of
+   those sections should be linked from new questions here (most notably,
+   we should have a question about avoiding depending on PyPI that links to
+   http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/deployment.html#pypi-mirrors-and-caches)
+
+
+Common installation issues
+==========================
+
+Installing into the system Python on Linux
+------------------------------------------
+
+On Linux systems, a Python installation will typically be included as part
+of the distribution. Installing into this Python installation requires
+root access to the system, and may interfere with the operation of the
+system package manager and other components of the system if a component
+is unexpectedly upgraded using ``pip``.
+
+On such systems, it is often better to use a virtual environment or a
+per-user installation when installing packages with ``pip``.
+
+
+Installing binary extensions
+----------------------------
+
+Python has typically relied heavily on source based distribution, with end
+users being expected to compile extension modules from source as part of
+the installation process.
+
+With the introduction of support for the binary ``wheel`` format, and the
+ability to publish wheels for at least Windows and Mac OS X through the
+Python Package Index, this problem is expected to diminish over time,
+as users are more regularly able to install pre-built extensions rather
+than needing to build them themselves.
+
+Some of the solutions for installing `scientific software
+<http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/platforms.html#installing-scientific-packages>`__
+that is not yet available as pre-built ``wheel`` files may also help with
+obtaining other binary extensions without needing to build them locally.
+
+.. seealso::
+
+   `Python Packaging User Guide: Binary Extensions
+   <http://packaging.python.org/en/latest/extensions.html>`__