On Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:44:55 -0400 (EDT) Robert Heller <[email protected]> wrote: > Normally you can't do that. If the python package does not have a > corresponding .deb file in the Debian repository, you can only install > things in a Python "virtual environment". > > There is a "trick": > > 1) create a Python "virtual environment", say in /tmp or in your $HOME > > 2) use pip in that virtual environment to install the packages there. > > 3) create a python3.11 directory tree under /usr/local/lib (or /opt/lib > if you prefer): > > marchhare% dir /usr/local/lib/python3.11/ > dist-packages/ site-packages/ > > and copy the revevant files from the virtual environment's > lib/python3.11/ > > 4) in any Python code that needs to use these packages, add these lines: > > import sys > sys.path.append("/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/") > > This "trick" is not documented anywhere and the Python community is > going to bitch that this is bad idea or some such nonsense, but *I* > don't care. Use at your own risk. All I can say is that it works for > me and I don't see any real problem with this. Python really should > include some flavor of the above sys.path.append() call as part of the > core Python startup code. Almost all other languages do include some > variant of it, It is a long standing thing in the UNIX world to use > /usr/local (or /opt) for locally (or non-system supported) installed > packages. <snip>
I tried that, but ffmpeg (which was the point of installing vapoursynth), can't find it. I also just decided to try passing --break-system-packages. But again, ffmpeg couldn't find vapoursynth. I guess I'll try using the debian multimedia repo. Thanks!
