pip on Windows giving the error - Unknown or unsupported command 'install'

I installed pip on Windows by downloading http://pypi.python.org/packages/source/p/pip/pip-1.0.2.tar.gz#md5=47ec6ff3f6d962696fe08d4c8264ad49 and running python setup.py install

Installation went fine with no errors.

But when I tried installing selenium package with it, it gives me the following error -

pip install -U selenium
Unknown option: u
Unknown or unsupported command 'install'

Where I'm making the mistake?

Solution 1:

Do you happen to have the Perl pip lying around somewhere?

Sounds like the problem described here:

https://github.com/mike-perdide/gitbuster/issues/62

To check, in Windows command prompt execute:

C:\>where pip

This will potentially output the following:

C:\strawberry\perl\bin\pip
C:\strawberry\perl\bin\pip.bat

If so, this is your problem. Unistall Strawberry Perl or use the full path to python pip.

Solution 2:

This error is because the system is finding pip.bat before it finds pip.exe.

You do NOT need to uninstall Strawberry Perl or type the whole path.

What I do is to simply type pip.exe (same number of keystrokes as apt-get) when I want to use the Python utility. This method seems to work find for me on Win7 with Python(x,y) 2.7x and Strawberry Perl installed.

Solution 3:

Had the same problem under Ubuntu and did:

$ sudo apt-get remove pip
$ sudo apt-get install python-pip

Solution 4:

I had this problem as well, and like Johannes said, it's because the perl pip is interfering with your Python pip.

To get around it, you can simply do this as well:

python -m pip install <package_name>