Using `--user` installs

[ChrisBarker-NOAA (Chris Barker)]

@pf_moore

The other is exposed to the user, and is by design managed by the end user.

I’m still surprised that that didn’t happen a LONG time ago - I still shudder from the while Redhat “python” is the system python2 thing!

Not so different than using a conda environment (or pixi …).

I mostly us conda ‘cause it supports non-python dependencies – but the fact that conda manges Python itself is pretty handy.

Of course, conda itself is written in Python, so you do need to be ca bit careful about not breaking the default environment – oh well.

Pixi doesn’t have that problem, but it does have others…

I haven’t taught beginners Python in a while, but next time I do, I might well start with conda or pixi.

[GalaxySnail]

@encukou

On one end, sometimes users want system integration, so you’d need to poke holes in the isolation;

IMO python -m venv --system-site-packages should be good enough as a replacement for pip install --user in most cases, which doesn’t “break system packages”. The problem is that it takes some steps and is not obvious.