Understanding the Connection Error in Pip Install

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As a Python developer, you’ve likely encountered the frustration of trying to install packages using pip and encountering a “connection error” with an SSL certificate verify failed message. In this article, we’ll delve into the world of SSL certificates, trusted hosts, and how to resolve this issue in pip.

Understanding SSL Certificates

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are used to secure communication over the internet. When you try to connect to a website or access a package repository using pip, it uses an SSL certificate to establish a secure connection. However, sometimes these certificates can be problematic, especially when accessing package repositories behind corporate firewalls.

The Problem: Certificate Verify Failed

The “connection error: [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed (_ssl.c:598)” message indicates that the pip library is unable to verify the SSL certificate of the package repository. This can happen due to several reasons:

• Trusted Hosts: If the pip library does not include the trusted hosts in its configuration, it will fail to connect to the package repository.
• Proxy Issues: If there are issues with proxy settings or connectivity, it may prevent the connection from being established.
• Firewall Configurations: Some firewall configurations can block the connection between pip and the package repository.

The Solution: Using Trusted Hosts

One way to resolve this issue is by setting up trusted hosts for the pip library. This can be done using a configuration file (pip.ini on Windows or pip.conf on Unix) or by passing the --trusted-host argument when running the pip install command.

Permanent Fix

If you’re experiencing this issue frequently, it’s recommended to upgrade your pip version to the latest one. This will ensure that you have the necessary configuration options to resolve the issue.

$ pip install --trusted-host pypi.org --trusted-host pypi.python.org --trusted-host files.pythonhosted.org pip setuptools

Alternatively, if you’re behind a corporate firewall, you can use self-signed certificates or disable SSL verification. However, please note that these methods come with security risks.

Using Self-Signed Certificates

If you have access to the certificate file of the package repository, you can use it by passing the --cert argument when running the pip install command.

$ pip install --cert pypi.python.org:12345 /path/to/certfile

However, using self-signed certificates is not recommended due to security risks.

Using Easy Install

As a last resort, you can use easy_install instead of pip. While this method is less secure, it might work for some packages. To install a package using easy_install, run:

$ easy_install <package_name>

Note that easy_install may not be able to find all packages.

Using Wheel

Another option is to download the Wheel file of the package and use pip install with the --upgrade argument.

$ pip install --upgrade wheel

Then, you can try installing the package using:

$ pip install wheel_package_name.whl

Conclusion

Resolving the “connection error: [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed” message in pip requires understanding of SSL certificates and trusted hosts. By configuring your pip library to include trusted hosts, you can avoid this issue and successfully install packages using pip.

Keep in mind that some of these solutions come with security risks, so make sure you evaluate the risks before considering them.

Last modified on 2023-08-08