# PEP 668: Marking Python base environments as "externally managed"

**URL:** <https://discuss.python.org/t/pep-668-marking-python-base-environments-as-externally-managed/10302>\
**Category:** Standards\
**Created:** [August 24, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/pep-668-marking-python-base-environments-as-externally-managed/10302 "2021-08-24T14:50:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 72

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![uranusjr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discuss.python.org/uranusjr/32/103_2.png) [@uranusjr](https://discuss.python.org/u/uranusjr)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 6:08am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/pep-668-marking-python-base-environments-as-externally-managed/10302/72 "2023-02-05T06:08:52Z")

</div>

I’m likely missing context, not being a Debian user, but I would freak out when I read this, if I don’t know what’s actually going on:

> Practically, this means that you can’t use pip to install packages outside a virtualenv, on a Debian system, any more.

This sounds like Debian is breaking me, and I will have no choice but to either use virtualenv, or switch system entirely. But in fact I still can install packages outside a virtualenv on a Debian system; I just can’t do that against the Python installation(s) Debian provides. I am not sure if (how) this subtle difference can be significant to certain people, but do wonder whether the message can be tweaked to be less absolute.

---

_[View the full topic](https://discuss.python.org/t/pep-668-marking-python-base-environments-as-externally-managed/10302)._