ERROR (init:97) – BAZARR requirements.txt installation result: b’error: externally-managed-environment\n\n\xc3\x97 This environment is externally managed\n\xe2\x95\xb0\xe2\x94\x80> To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install\n python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to\n install.\n \n If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package,\n create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv.\n Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make\n sure you have python3-full installed.\n \n If you wish to install a non-Debian packaged Python application,\n it may be easiest to use pipx install xyz, which will manage a\n virtual environment for you. Make sure you have pipx installed.\n \n See /usr/share/doc/python3.11/README.venv for more information.\n\nnote: If you believe this is a mistake, please contact your Python installation or OS distribution provider. You can override this, at the risk of breaking your Python installation or OS, by passing –break-system-packages.\nhint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.\n’
After upgrading from Debian 11 to Debian 12, my Bazarr service would not start. Initially, I was thrown off by messaging that indicated that Bazarr does not work with Python versions above 3.10.x – but I soon learned that to be false. I’m running version 1.2.4 of Bazarr, the latest general release at the time of this writing. Trying to solve this problem led me down a rabbit hole of various issues and potential solutions, all centered around creating a Python venv and obtaining Setuptools in a version different than what system-wide Debian provides. None of it quite worked.
Here is what fixed my problem:
- Install python3-full:
sudo apt install python3-full
- Rename the EXTERNALLY-MANAGED file:
sudo mv /usr/lib/python3.11/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED /usr/lib/python3.11/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED.old
- Download the latest Bazarr zip and expand it over my existing directory
wget https://github.com/morpheus65535/bazarr/releases/download/v1.2.4/bazarr.zip
unzip /opt/bazarr/ bazarr.zip
(or wherever you have bazarr located)
- Install unrar:
sudo apt install unrar
- Create a venv in my bazarr directory
cd /opt/bazarr
(or wherever you have bazarr located)python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
- Install the requirements in the venv:
python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages -r requirements.txt
- Finally, start Bazarr:
python3 /opt/bazarr/bazarr.py
- Check to see if it starts successfully, if so, CTRL+C to stop it, and start the service version:
sudo systemctl start bazarr