How do I fix pip 'error: externally-managed-environment' (PEP 668)?

How it was checked: EXTERNALLY-MANAGED marker confirmed on a Python 3.14 Debian-style system; fix per PEP 668.

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python
pip

Fix

Your OS Python is marked as distro-managed (EXTERNALLY-MANAGED file), so pip refuses system-wide installs. Use one of: 1. A virtual environment: python3 -m venv .venv && .venv/bin/pip install <pkg> (best for projects). 2. pipx install <tool> for command-line apps. 3. Your distro's package (apt install python3-<pkg>). Last resort: pip install --user --break-system-packages <pkg>. It can break OS tools that depend on system Python, so avoid it on servers. If venv creation itself fails with 'ensurepip is not available', see the pip-missing-in-venv fix.

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