---
title: "pip install fails with \"Permission denied\" on Python 3+"
date: "2015-03-03"
category: "python"
slug: "pip-install-fails-permission-denied-python-3"
---

## Symptom

pip fails to install packages on Python 3.0+ with a `PermissionError`:

[myadmin@sol]$ pip install django
Downloading/unpacking django
Installing collected packages: django
Cleaning up...
Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "/.socket/python/python3.4/site-packages/pip/wheel.py", line 205, in clobber
 os.makedirs(destdir)
 File "/.socket/python/python3.4/os.py", line 237, in makedirs
 mkdir(name, mode)
PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/.socket/python/python3.4/site-packages/django'

## Cause

pip bundled with Python 3.0+ includes support for [wheel](https://wheel.readthedocs.org/en/latest/), a successor to the older [egg](http://pythonhosted.org/setuptools/formats.html) format. The wheel post-processing step attempts to install to the system Python location instead of the version-specific directory, causing a permission failure.

## Solution

Disable wheel processing by adding `--no-use-wheel` to your `pip install` command, or add the following to `~/.pip/pip.conf` in your [[home-directory-location]]:

[global]
use-wheel = no

Most accounts should have wheel disabled by default.

## See Also

- [\`--install-option\` should work for wheels? #1716](https://github.com/pypa/pip/issues/1716)
