Install MySQLclient using pip

Posted under » MySQL » Python » Django on 06 April 2021

Unlike LAMP which automatically setup MySQL connection to PHP, Python connection to MySQL can be tricky.

To install, follow this instruction or continue reading.

$ apt-get install python3-dev default-libmysqlclient-dev build-essential pkg-config

Note that if you have a specifc version of Python, eg. 3.8 you have to specify it.

$ sudo apt-get install python3.8-dev default-libmysqlclient-dev build-essential pkg-config

Once installed, then run Pip in your environment. Pip is a package-management system written in Python used to install and manage software packages. It connects to an online repository of public and paid-for private packages, called the Python Package Index. Most distributions of Python come with pip pre-installed. Check by

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip --version

But if not, then

$ sudo apt install python3-pip
$ apt install python3.8-pip # or
$ pip install --upgrade pip # for good measure

Don't install mysqlclient first until you install wheel which is like a python zip packager or else you will get error when in venv.

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip install -U wheel

If you want to use a specific Python version

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip3.8 install -U wheel

After installing PIP do not use sudo pip or it will break apps.

Afterwhich you can proceed installing mysqlclient

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip install mysqlclient

If somehow you have a `failed building wheel' error, then you have to specify the version that works for your OS, eg. Ubuntu 24.04 like so

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip install mysqlclient==2.2.5

If you want to update.

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip install mysqlclient --upgrade

Normally it will uninstall the old one and then install the updated version

If you want to uninstall.

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip uninstall mysqlclient

If you want to see the list of installed libraries

(bri) ubuntu@hornet:~$ pip list

Find using Python Package Index.

However, when I have 2 different venvs somehow it will only accept the latest version. ie. 3.12 because the installation is default while 3.8 doesn't seem to work. So it is not that straightforward.