# Having problems installing Neopixel python driver

**URL:** <https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/having-problems-installing-neopixel-python-driver/23712>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [January 2, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/having-problems-installing-neopixel-python-driver/23712 "2024-01-02T23:47:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![patofoto](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/patofoto/32/8521_2.png) [@patofoto](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/patofoto)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/having-problems-installing-neopixel-python-driver/23712/1 "2024-01-02T23:47:37Z")

</div>

Trying to install the Unicorn-hat Python library on a RPi Zero W with:

`curl -sS https://get.pimoroni.com/unicornhat | bash`

Getting this message:

```auto
This script will install everything needed to use
Unicorn HAT/pHAT

Always be careful when running scripts and commands copied
from the internet. Ensure they are from a trusted source.

This script should -- only be run on a Raspberry Pi with RPi OS --
other systems and SBCs are not supported and may explode!

If you want to see what this script does before running it,
you should run: 'curl https://get.pimoroni.com/unicornhat'

Do you wish to continue? [y/N] y

Checking environment...
Updating apt indexes...
...W: http://raspbian.raspberrypi.com/raspbian/dists/bookworm/InRelease: Key is stored in legacy trusted.gpg keyring (/etc/apt/trusted.gpg), see the DEPRECATION section in apt-key(8) for details.
.........
...
Checking hardware requirements...

Checking for packages required for GPIO control...
raspi-gpio is already installed
.....................RPi.GPIO installed and up-to-date

Unicorn HAT/pHAT comes with examples and documentation that you may wish to install.
Performing a full install will ensure those resources are installed,
along with all required dependencies. It may however take a while!

Do you wish to perform a full install? [y/N] y

Checking for dependencies...
python3-dev is already installed

Installing Unicorn HAT/pHAT library for Python 3...

error: externally-managed-environment

× This environment is externally managed
╰─> To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install
    python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to
    install.

    If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package,
    create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv.
    Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make
    sure you have python3-full installed.

    For more information visit http://rptl.io/venv

note: 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.
hint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.
Python 3 library install failed!
If problems persist, visit forums.pimoroni.com for support

```

Not sure what to do next. Any help would be appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/having-problems-installing-neopixel-python-driver/23712/2 "2024-01-03T09:01:24Z")

</div>

EDIT: Pimoroni are working on updating the installers. Might take a while though.

It’s a change made in Bookworm.  
For more information visit `http://rptl.io/venv`

[Raspberry Pi Documentation - Raspberry Pi OS](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/os.html#python-on-raspberry-pi)  
IMPORTANT From _Bookworm_ onwards, packages installed via `pip` must be installed into a Python Virtual Environment using `venv`. This has been introduced by the Python community, not Raspberry Pi; see [PEP 668](https://peps.python.org/pep-0668/) for more details.