It seems like you are using a Debian-based system (like Ubuntu) and trying to install Python packages in an environment that is externally managed, meaning that the system's package manager controls the Python environment and packages instead of using `pip`. Here's what you can do: 1. **System-wide Package Installation with `apt`:** If you are trying to install commonly used Python packages, they might be available in your system's repositories. You can install these using the `apt` package manager: ``` sudo apt install python3-xyz ``` Replace `xyz` with the name of the package you want to install. This is the preferred method if you are managing Python packages that should be available to all system users or are dependencies for other system software. 2. **Creating a Virtual Environment:** For development purposes or if you need a specific version of a package, use a Python virtual environment. This allows you to install packages without affecting the system-wide Python installation: ``` sudo apt install python3-full python3 -m venv path/to/venv source path/to/venv/bin/activate pip install xyz ``` Replace `path/to/venv` with the directory you want your virtual environment to reside in, and replace `xyz` with the package you are trying to install. 3. **Install Python Applications with `pipx`:** If you're looking to install Python applications rather than libraries, you can use `pipx` which will automatically create a separate virtual environment for each application: ``` sudo apt install pipx pipx install xyz ``` Where `xyz` is the Python application you'd like to install. `pipx` is particularly useful if you want to avoid version conflicts between different Python applications or if you want to isolate your Python applications from the system Python. Remember to always replace `xyz` with the actual name of the package or application you are trying to install. Lastly, note that using `sudo` with `pip` is not recommended as it can lead to security risks and could potentially interfere with system-managed packages. Always prefer to work in a virtual environment when working with Python projects to avoid these issues. Before proceeding, please refer to `/usr/share/doc/python3.12/README.venv` for more information specific to your version of Python, as the error message suggests.