How do I install python on alpine linux?

Question

How do I install python3 and python3-pip on an alpine based image (without using a python image)?

 $ apk add --update python3.8 python3-pip
 ERROR: unsatisfiable constraints:
   python3-pip (missing):
     required by: world[python3-pip]
   python3.8 (missing):
     required by: world[python3.8]

Affixation

This might help github.com/jfloff/alpine-python – Chokefull

OP specifically asks how to accomplish the task without using a python image. – Averroes

You're obviously interested in installing python3.8, not just any version of python3. However, none of the answers address this. Has anyone figured out how to install a specific minor version of python3? – Pyrrha

@TobiasFeil check out my answer, I think this is a possible alternative. – Kaliski

Answer 1

This is what I use in a Dockerfile for an alpine image:

# Install python/pip
ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
RUN apk add --update --no-cache python3 && ln -sf python3 /usr/bin/python
RUN python3 -m ensurepip
RUN pip3 install --no-cache --upgrade pip setuptools

Pusillanimous

I'm getting: WARNING: Ignoring http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.10/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz: No such file or directory ERROR: unsatisfiable constraints: python3 (missing): required by: world[python3] – Walther

Interesting, wasn't aware that python3 -m ensurepip exists. – Luong

@Walther This error may occur if you have no community repository enabled in your /etc/apk/repositories. Check this file, uncomment or add community repository and retry. – Bravo

ensurepip is pretty cool, for those interested here is more info on it: docs.python.org/3/library/ensurepip.html – Toomer

In the Alpine 3.19 image, running python3 -m ensurepip gives a long error message starting with "This environment is externally managed". Ih that case, use Linus H.'s answer: apk add --no-cache py3-pip. – Triangle

Answer 2

Take a look at the alpine package repo: https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/packages So what you are looking for are the python3 and py3-pip packages.

A suitable command to use inside a dockerfile/etc. would be:

apk add --no-cache python3 py3-pip

Explanation of the --no-cache flag

Note however, that you need to add the community repository since py3-pip is not present on main.

Dudgeon

what's the equivalent of python-dev package for 3? – Apterygial

@Apterygial it's python3-dev according to: Alpine Package search: python3-dev* – Dudgeon

This is the correct way since 3.12 pkgs.alpinelinux.org/… – Berneicebernelle

If you come across this error importlib.metadata.PackageNotFoundError: pip while trying to run e.g. pip3 install and you are using alpine:3.13 docker image, try upgrading to alpine:3.14. – Premier

It seems py3-pip already present on main: pkgs.alpinelinux.org/packages?name=py3-pip – Eleven

Sorry @johnlinp, but I can not reproduce your findings. When opening the link you have provided, it clearly states, that py3-pip is only available in the community repo. – Dudgeon

Oops, my mistake. I'm sorry. – Eleven

Since Python now makes python3 -m ensurepip fail for system-installed Python, that makes sudo apk add --no-cache py3-pip the way forward. – Laura

That link to the community repository is broken, and py3-pip always gets an error says missing. – Ponder

Answer 3

instead of python3-pip install py3-pip

apk add --update python3 py3-pip

Adjective

what is the difference? – Salesperson

This doesn't work, at all, I get py3-pip missing. – Ponder

Answer 4

Additional option is to build python during image build:

FROM alpine:latest

# you can specify python version during image build
ARG PYTHON_VERSION=3.9.9

# install build dependencies and needed tools
RUN apk add \
    wget \
    gcc \
    make \
    zlib-dev \
    libffi-dev \
    openssl-dev \
    musl-dev

# download and extract python sources
RUN cd /opt \
    && wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/${PYTHON_VERSION}/Python-${PYTHON_VERSION}.tgz \                                              
    && tar xzf Python-${PYTHON_VERSION}.tgz

# build python and remove left-over sources
RUN cd /opt/Python-${PYTHON_VERSION} \ 
    && ./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-optimizations --with-ensurepip=install \
    && make install \
    && rm /opt/Python-${PYTHON_VERSION}.tgz /opt/Python-${PYTHON_VERSION} -rf
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               # rest of the image, python3 and pip3 commands will be available

This snippet downloads and builds python of specified version from sources (together with pip). It may be an overkill but sometimes it may come in handy.

Kaliski

Answer 5

You can try this command:

apk add python3

Apollus

Answer 6

You may use the python official image which offers alpine tags as well. You will probably get the most state-of-the-art python install:

e.g.:

FROM python:3-alpine

Pincushion

Presently, I tried your method as in FROM python:3.9-alpine:edge. But this throws invalid reference format. I require alpine edge because librdkafka 2.0.2 v is available only in alpine edge. Is there any other way to solve this error? – Acinaciform

@potterson11 I guess the tag you used (python:3.9-alpine:edge) does not exists. I have not seen any available edge tags here: hub.docker.com/_/python/tags – Pincushion

Answer 7

It looks like you're trying to install a specific minor version of Python3 (3.8), you can do this in Alpine by using semver like this which will install a version of python3>=3.8.0 <3.9.0-0:

apk add python3=~3.8

Recommendation

Answer 8

I had to install python in an air gap network so I couldn't run apk add. Here's how I got required packages inside an online alpine container:

apk fetch python3 py3-pip libbz2 libexpat libffi gdbm mpdecimal libpanelw readline \
    sqlite-libs py3-setuptools libgcc libstdc++ py3-packaging py3-parsing

And my Dockerfile looks like this:

ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
COPY ./*.apk .

RUN apk add --allow-untrusted --no-network libgcc* libstdc++* gdbm* libbz2* \
    libexpat* libffi* libpanel* mpdecimal* \
    readline* sqlite* \
    python3-3.11.4-r0.apk py3-parsing* py3-packaging* py3-setuptools* py3-pip-23.1.2-r0.apk && \
    rm *.apk && \
    ln -sf python3 /usr/bin/python

And the dependency hell got resolved.

Acetophenetidin

Answer 9

For those looking to install pip in Alpine Linux you might not get py3-pip to install via apk. After you install python: apk add python3, then you run python -m ensurepip. That's what worked for me.

Good luck!

Glottal

This works. You can verify that pip was installed with python -m pip --version. – Bushelman

Answer 10

I tried many answers from different sources, eventually I copied the repository file and checked the naming convention by extracting the compressed file

wget https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/aarch64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
tar -xvf  APKINDEX.tar.gz
cat APKINDEX | grep python3 

and the found the line.

D:python3 python3~3.11

and the following worked

apk --update --no-cache add python3~3.11 --repository=http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main

Eft