How to setup pip for coexisting Python 2.7/3.4?

Question

I am using Anaconda Python 3.4 on a Windows 7 PC now. Recently I am trying to follow the instruction of the book High Performance Python to learn some profiling skills. To this end I need to use pip install to install several tools. Unfortunately, not all of them support Python 3, and I have to install Python 2.7 now.

Before installing Python 2.7, I would like to know how I should handle with such 2.7/3.4 coexisting system? How do I setup pip so that I could use pip install to install packages for different Python versions separately?

Answer 1

You can create a conda environment via:

conda create --name py27 python=2.7

and use this environment for your work with Python 2.7. Activate it with the command activate py27 , going back to your root environment is just activate .

In the py27 environment you can install pip and all other packages you need.

Answer 2

pip is generally located at the Python27\\Scripts and/or Python34\\Scripts folder. If you wish to invoke pip directly in the command line, these folders should be in your PATH environment variable.

Now I would just rename pip.exe in Python34\\Scripts into any other name, for example pip_for_3.exe . That way, when I install packages for Python27, I would just use:

pip install <package name>

and packages for Python34:

pip_for_3 install <package name>

Coexisting Python installations are not a problem, you just have to know which version is invoked every time. See this answer for the same idea.