This tutorial covers how to install PIP on Ubuntu 26.04. PIP is the Python Package Manager used to install and manage software packages from the Python Package Index (PyPi). The shortcut PIP stands for pip install packages. PIP allows users to install packages that are not part of the standard Python library. It automates processes of finding, downloading, and installing packages and automatically resolves necessary dependencies. We can install PIP in two ways: from the APT repository or via the installation script. We will find out how to do that in the following headings.
The PIP installation process is straightforward, regardless of the method we use. Let’s get started and find out!
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
- A server running Ubuntu 26.04 OS
- User privileges: root or non-root user with sudo privileges
Update the System
Before we start with the installation of pip we assume that you have a freshly installed Ubuntu 26.04 OS, which is why we will update the system packages to their latest versions. To do that, execute the following command:
apt update -y && apt upgrade -y
Install Python3
pip needs Python because it is a tool specifically designed to manage Python software packages. To check if there is a Python 3 version installed, execute the command below:
python3 -V
If there is no Python version installed, you will get the following output:
root@host:~# python3 -V -bash: /usr/bin/python3: No such file or directory
To install Python3 on Ubuntu 26.04, you need to execute the following command:
apt install python3 -y
Checking the Python3 version should give you the following output:
root@test.vps:~# python3 -V Python 3.13.11
Install Pip from the Ubuntu 26.04 default repository
Installing Python’s pip from the default Ubuntu 26.04 repository ensures you get a tested, stable version, simplifies updates, provides system integration, and leverages your OS’s security/dependency management. To install pip from the repo, execute the following command:
apt install python3-pip -y
To check the installed pip version, you can use the command below:
pip3 -V
You should get the following output:
root@test.vps:~# pip3 -V
pip 25.1.1 from /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pip (python 3.13)
Install Pip from the installation script
The second method for installing pip is from the installation script. If we want to install a specific pip version that is not available in the official Ubuntu 26.04 repository, we use this option. The installation script is called get-pip.py and can be downloaded with the curl command as explained below:
cd /opt curl https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py -o get-pip.py
To install pip, we will run the script through the following python3 command:
python3 get-pip.py
After completion of the installation process, we should see this output:
root@test.vps:~# python3 get-pip.py
Collecting pip
Using cached pip-25.3-py3-none-any.whl.metadata (4.7 kB)
Using cached pip-25.3-py3-none-any.whl (1.8 MB)
Installing collected packages: pip
Successfully installed pip-25.3
Once installed,w e need to make a symbolic link:
ln -s /usr/local/bin/pip3 /usr/bin/pip3
To check the installed version, execute the following command:
pip3 --version
You should get output similar to this:
root@test.vps:~# pip3 --version
pip 26.0.1 from /usr/local/lib/python3.13/dist-packages/pip (python 3.13)
As you can see, the PIP version from the script is always higher than the one from the official repository.
PIP commands
Here’s a numbered list of the most commonly used pip commands along with examples. These are the basic commands Python developers use daily to install, manage, and inspect Python packages.
1. Install a package - Installs the latest version of a package from PyPI.
pip3 install "package-name"
2. Install a specific version - Installs a specified version of a package.
pip3 install "package-name"==1.2.3
3. Install from a requirements file - Installs all packages listed in a requirements file.
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
4. Uninstall a package - Removes a package from your environment.
pip3 uninstall "package-name"
5. Upgrade (update) a package - Upgrades the package to the latest available version.
pip3 install --upgrade "package-name"
6. List installed packages - Shows all currently installed packages and versions.
pip3 list > requirements.tx
7. Generate a requirements file - Outputs all installed packages and versions in a format suitable for a requirements file.
pip3 freeze > requirements.txt
8. Show package information - Displays metadata for an installed package (location, dependencies, etc.).
pip3 show "package-name"
9. Check outdated packages - Lists packages that have newer versions available.
pip3 list --outdated
10. Search for a package (less commonly used now) Searches the package index for names/descriptions matching the query (this feature may be deprecated in newer pip versions).
pip3 search "package-name"
If you run just pip without any arguments, you’ll see all available commands and help.
root@test.vps:~# pip3 -v
Usage:
pip3 [options]
Commands:
install Install packages.
lock Generate a lock file.
download Download packages.
uninstall Uninstall packages.
freeze Output installed packages in requirements format.
inspect Inspect the python environment.
list List installed packages.
show Show information about installed packages.
check Verify installed packages have compatible dependencies.
Conclusion
That’s it. You successfully installed the PIP on Ubuntu 26.04.
Of course, you don’t have to install PIP on Ubuntu 26.04 if you have difficulty or are not familiar with Linux. You can always contact our technical support. You only need to sign up for one of our Linux VPS hosting plans and submit a support ticket. We are available 24/7 and will address your request immediately.
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