Replace pip with python -m pip

[dstansby]

Description

This is best practice, to make sure the pip being picked up matches the current python executable.

Type of change

• Fixes or improves existing content

References

Final checklist:

• My PR is the minimum possible work for the desired functionality
• I have commented my code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
• I have added alt text to new images included in this PR

[melissawm]

+1!

[psobolewskiPhD]

For my personal edification, can y'all give me a ELI5—or a link to read up?
🙏

[Czaki]

For my personal edification, can y'all give me a ELI5—or a link to read up?

In general, all operating systems are using environment variable named PATH to store information where binaries are stored. You could preview it by calling echo $PATH in the terminal.

This path stores a list of directories that are checked in order from this variable to find where the variable is. After finding the first directory that contains the proper named executable with the proper name, the OS stops checking.

But for performance reasons system also cache search result.

So it may happen that, because of a mess in the PATH variable or some wrong working command, it may happen that calling pip may lead to running pip from a different environment than python -m pip (so different than python)

You may see a sample bug report here microsoft/vscode-python#8852

[brisvag]

To add to the above:

• calling python -m modulename is actually running module.__main__.py, which for pip is the command line interface
• you might even not have pip in the active environment, which would basically guarantee that using pip install would run the system pip

[psobolewskiPhD]

Thanks guys!
So if I follow, the reason I've not (to my knowledge) run into this is because of using conda envs and conda installs python and pip into the env?

[melissawm]

@psobolewskiPhD probably, but it is still recommended (and I have personally found this to be a problem using conda as well on one or two occasions)

[Czaki]

So if I follow, the reason I've not (to my knowledge) run into this is because of using conda envs and conda installs python and pip into the env?

maybe you directly execute instructions without using "shortcuts".

[dstansby]

For what it's worth this is also what pip use in their docs: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/getting-started/

[brisvag]

So if I follow, the reason I've not (to my knowledge) run into this is because of using conda envs and conda installs python and pip into the env?

I generally use pip for brevity, so it's not a common issue. But when it happens it's a pain to debug unless you're familiar with it, so it's good to have this in the docs :)