# Install any python package for the ParaView binary release using pip
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437
**Category:** Tips and Tricks
**Created:** [April 19, 2024, 8:13am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437 "2024-04-19T08:13:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2024, 8:13am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/1 "2024-04-19T08:13:19Z")
The ParaView binary release (from [https://paraview.org/download](https://paraview.org/download)) is great as it is an very easy way to install and use ParaView.
However it has one big limitation, is that it contains a set number of python packages without an obvious way to augment that set.
Indeed, installing python packages locally will not work unless your local python is the **exact** same version as the one used by ParaView. Not everyone has the possiblity to install a specific version of python on their computer just for ParaView.
But, to be fair, ParaView does not need your system python to be the same, it only needs the installed python package to be compatible with the right version of python!
There are three solutions, we recommen `uv`.
### `uv` + `venv` solution
And it so happens that `uv` support natively installing package in any virtual environement, and ParaView is able to generate a venv!
Here is how to do it with any version of ParaView \>= 5.13.3
- install `uv`
- Download ParaView binary release archive from [https://paraview.org/download](https://paraview.org/download)
- Extract it and `cd` into it.
- `./bin/pvpython -m venv ./.venv`
- `VIRTUAL_ENV=./.venv/ uv pip install pytest pytest-cov exceptiongroup`
- Run ParaView with `./bin/paraview --venv .venv`
- Open Python Shell, you can import pytest: `import pytest`
### `pip` + `venv` solution
With the addition of the `--venv` arg to ParaView (available starting in ParaView 5.13), it becomes simpler to deploy that workflow, here is a concrete example.
- Download ParaView 5.13.3 binary release archive from [https://paraview.org/download](https://paraview.org/download)
- Extract it and `cd` to it
- run `./bin/pvpython -m venv .venv`
- run `./bin/pvpython -c "import sys; print(sys.version)"`
- Install packages (here I’m installing `pytest`) in the directory right in the venv
```auto
python3 -m pip install --only-binary=:all: --python-version 3.12.7 --target ./.venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ pytest pytest-cov exceptiongroup
```
- Run ParaView with `./bin/paraview --venv .venv`
- Open Python Shell, you can import pytest: `import pytest`
### pip only solution
And it so happens that `pip` does support installing package for other versions of python.
With that in mind, we can consider the local Python and pip to be _just_ a package manager used to install packages that ParaView can use.
Here is a concrete example.
- install any version of Python with `pip`
- Download ParaView 5.12.0 binary release archive from [https://paraview.org/download](https://paraview.org/download)
- Extract it and run ParaView
- Help → About → Note the “Python Libary Version” : 3.10.13
- Alternatively, run `./bin/pvpython -c "import sys; print(sys.version)"`
- Install packages (here I’m installing `pytest`) in a dedicated directory
```auto
mkdir /path/to/paraview_5120_python_packages
python3 -m pip install --only-binary=:all: --python-version 3.10.13 --target paraview_5120_python_packages/ pytest pytest-cov exceptiongroup
```
- Run ParaView with `PYTHONPATH` set correctly, you can now import `pytest`!
```auto
PYTHONPATH=path/to/paraview_5120_python_packages/ ./bin/pvpython
> import pytest
```
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2025, 7:53am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/3 "2025-04-24T07:53:20Z")
venv solution added to original post
---
### Author:  [@ahernsean](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/ahernsean)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/4 "2025-04-28T20:16:58Z")
> [@mwestphal](#):
>
> Download ParaView 6.0.0 binary release archive
_What_ version? I don’t see a version 6 at that download link.
---
### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/5 "2025-04-28T20:20:53Z")
> [@ahernsean](#):
>
> _What_ version?
5.13.3. I’ve updated the directions in Mathieu’s latest post.
---
### Author:  [@henry2004y](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/henry2004y)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/6 "2025-05-13T13:58:42Z")
When I tried this on Win11, the workflow remains almost the same, except that
```bash
--target ./.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/
```
is changed to
```bash
--target ./.venv/lib/site-packages/
```
to make it work on my machine.
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2025, 5:34am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/7 "2025-07-03T05:34:35Z")
2 posts were split to a new topic: [How to install python packages](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-install-python-packages/16893)
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2025, 10:05am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/8 "2025-07-04T10:05:02Z")
It is now even simpler to do thanks to `uv` ! I’ve update my post to reflect that. No need to recover the version of python, `uv` handles it for you.
---
### Author:  [@henry2004y](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/henry2004y)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2025, 12:50am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/9 "2025-09-26T00:50:29Z")
With ParaView 6.0.0, I encountered some issues creating venv:
```auto
C:\Program Files\ParaView 6.0.0\bin>pvpython -m venv .venv
WRN - The configuration file has not been found, using default parameters.
Error: Command '['C:\\Program Files\\ParaView 6.0.0\\bin\\.venv\\Scripts\\pvpython.exe', '-m', 'ensurepip', '--upgrade', '--default-pip']' returned non-zero exit status 1.
```
While the warning is reported here: [pvpython/pvbatch on Windows starts up and reports warning “WRN - The configuration file has not been found, using default parameters.” (#23028) · Issue · paraview/paraview](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/23028), I do not see a solution to the error here. Does anyone have similar issues?
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2025, 7:00am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/10 "2025-09-26T07:00:05Z")
> [@henry2004y](#):
>
> Does anyone have similar issues?
I did see this but the venv seems to be working anyway. In any case this is tangential to the topic here and should be reported here: [https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues)
---
### Author:  [@jmb64](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/jmb64)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/11 "2025-12-09T19:36:51Z")
> Hi,
>
> Following solution 1) uv+venv above I get this error right off the bat:
>
> cd /U2/PARAVIEW/6.0.1/ParaView-6.0.1-MPI-Linux-Python3.12-x86\_64
>
> ./bin/pvpython -m venv ./.venv
>
> Error: Command ‘[’/U2/PARAVIEW/6.0.1/ParaView-6.0.1-MPI-Linux-Python3.12-x86\_64/.venv/bin/pvpython-real’, ‘-m’, ‘ensurepip’, ‘–upgrade’, ‘–default-pip’]’ returned non-zero exit status 1.
My system info:
> cat /etc/os-release
> PRETTY\_NAME=“Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS”
> NAME=“Ubuntu”
> VERSION\_ID=“22.04”
> VERSION=“22.04.5 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)”
>
> uv --version
> uv 0.8.15
Any suggestions ? It did work in the past with ParaView 5.13. following this link:[https://www.kitware.com/using-python-virtual-environments-in-paraview-5-13-0/](https://www.kitware.com/using-python-virtual-environments-in-paraview-5-13-0/) . This approach which resembles solution 2) pip+venv is not using pvpython but system python …
I also tried this recipe recently without success:
> uv venv --python 3.12
> source .venv/bin/activate
> uv pip install xarray cftime cfgrib zarr h5netcdf “numpy==1.26.4” “pandas==2.0.3” “netcdf4==1.6.5”
> deactivate
from this post [https://www.kitware.com/bridging-data-and-visualization-interactive-scientific-exploration-with-vtk-xarray-interoperability/](https://www.kitware.com/bridging-data-and-visualization-interactive-scientific-exploration-with-vtk-xarray-interoperability/)
and got the xarray import error from loading the Plugin.
Based on this issue here:
[https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/23087](https://gitlab.kitware.com/paraview/paraview/-/issues/23087)
it seems like a hot topic but I’m not sure if this issue is considered solved or not?
Thanks,
Jean-Marc
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2025, 8:18am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/12 "2025-12-10T08:18:42Z")
```auto
returned non-zero exit status 1.
```
The error is there, but the venv is working, just use it?
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437/13 "2026-06-08T11:30:03Z")
4 posts were split to a new topic: [Install any python package question](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-question/17608)