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This suggested edit was approved and applied to the post 8 months ago by Alexei‭.

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What is the point of pipx?
  • Many Python programs now recommend installing with pipx, and there is a sense that you shouldn't install with pip anymore, you should use tools like pipx.
  • However, what does pipx actually do that makes it such a preferred alternative to pip?
  • I checked their [docs](https://pypa.github.io/pipx/) and what I found doesn't really make sense. I don't want to write a long rebuttal, but in sum:
  • * pipx is described as a *package manager*, but package managers install files in system locations whereas pipx installs them in user locations. Also, package managers already have `python-...` packages where it makes sense.
  • * It mentions that unlike pip, it is specifically for CLI apps. But what exactly does pip not do? AFAIK executable packages just have a wrapper script in `~/.local/bin/` that calls them. This doesn't seem worth a whole program.
  • * It talks about PyPi as an "app store", which sounds weird. Yes people can and do distribute on PyPi, but there are major differences which pipx hardly closes.
  • I do see that it mentions isolating envs. I can see how it is not straightforward with pip to install each CLI app in a venv, but also make it available in PATH. So is that all pipx is, CLI apps in venv? This seems like a rather inefficient way to handle packaging (see also "static link everything").
  • Background
  • -
  • Many Python programs now recommend installing with pipx, and there is a sense that you shouldn't install with pip anymore, you should use tools like pipx.
  • Main Question
  • -
  • However, what does pipx actually do that makes it such a preferred alternative to pip?
  • Thoughts
  • -
  • I checked their [docs](https://pypa.github.io/pipx/) and what I found doesn't really make sense. In sum:
  • * pipx is described as a *package manager*, but package managers install files in system locations whereas pipx installs them in user locations. Also, package managers already have `python-...` packages where it makes sense.
  • * It mentions that unlike pip, it is specifically for CLI apps. But what exactly does pip not do? AFAIK executable packages just have a wrapper script in `~/.local/bin/` that calls them. This doesn't seem worth a whole program.
  • * It talks about PyPi as an "app store", which sounds weird. Yes, people can and do distribute on PyPi, but there are major differences which pipx hardly closes.
  • I do see that it mentions isolating envs. I can see how it is not straightforward with pip to install each CLI app in a venv, but also make it available in PATH. So is that all pipx is, CLI apps in venv? This seems like a rather inefficient way to handle packaging (see also "static link everything").

Suggested 8 months ago by meta user‭