pbs-installer is a Python library that serves as an installer for @indygreg's python-build-standalone. It automates the process of downloading and installing specific Python versions in a standalone fashion. The library is actively maintained with frequent releases, often multiple times a month, and is currently at version 2026.3.25.
pip install pbs-installerVerified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
This quickstart demonstrates how to use the `install` function from `pbs_installer` to download and install a specific version of CPython into a local directory. It highlights the main entry point for programmatic usage.
Install `pbs-installer` with the `[all]` extra: `pip install pbs-installer[all]`.
Verify your imports: `from pbs_installer import install` and confirm `pypi.org/project/pbs-installer` is the intended library.
Consult the `pbs-installer` documentation or source code for supported version string formats. Use precise version numbers.
Pass `arch='x86_64'`, `platform='linux'` (or appropriate values) to the `install` function to ensure the correct standalone build is selected.
pip install pbs-installer
Ensure the package is installed with `pip install pbs-installer`, then restart your terminal or verify that the Python environment's script directory is in your system's PATH.
Specify an installation directory where the current user has write permissions using the `--path` argument (e.g., `pbs-installer install 3.10.8 --path ~/.pythons/3.10.8`), or run the command with elevated privileges (`sudo pbs-installer ...`) if installing to a system-wide location is absolutely necessary (though generally discouraged for standalone builds).
Clear the local cache using `pbs-installer clear-cache` and then retry the installation. If the issue persists, verify your network connection or check the `python-build-standalone` GitHub releases for any reported issues with the specific build version.
Check the official `python-build-standalone` GitHub releases or the output of `pbs-installer list` for a list of available and supported Python versions for your platform, and use one of those.