pip installing build dependencies slow

Title: Optimizing Pip Installation of Build Dependencies for Faster Python Development
Introduction:
When working on Python projects, you often encounter situations where you need to install dependencies, including those required for building native extensions or compiling code. Unfortunately, the installation of these build dependencies can be slow at times. In this tutorial, we will explore ways to optimize the installation process and speed up the installation of build dependencies using pip.
Step 1: Understand the Issue
Before addressing the problem, it's essential to understand why installing build dependencies might be slow. When using pip to install a package, it may need to compile C extensions, which involves downloading the source code and building it. This process can be time-consuming, especially if your system lacks the necessary build tools or if the compilation process is not optimized.
Step 2: Use Wheels Instead of Source Distribution
A wheel is a binary distribution format that can be faster to install compared to building from source. Many packages provide pre-built wheels for popular platforms. To take advantage of this, you can use the --prefer-binary flag with pip:
This flag instructs pip to prefer pre-built binary wheels over source distributions.
Step 3: Install System Packages
Some packages require system-level dependencies to be installed before they can be built. For example, packages with C extensions often depend on development libraries. To ensure a faster installation, make sure these system-level dependencies are installed before using pip. Use your package manager to install the necessary system packages. For example, on Debian-based systems:
Step 4: Use a Virtual Environment
Isolating your project in a virtual environment can prevent conflicts with system-level packages and ensure a clean environment for installing dependencies. Create a virtual environment using:
Activate the virtual environment:
On Windows:
On Unix or MacOS:
Step 5: Parallelize the Installation Process
Pip allows you to parallelize the installation of dependencies using the --use-feature=fast-deps flag. This feature is experimental, so ensure you are using a recent version of pip.
Conclusion:
By following these steps, you can significantly speed up the installation of build dependencies when using pip. Utilizing binary wheels, installing system packages, using virtual environments, and parallelizing the installation process will collectively contribute to