Problem

The default pip install package-name command pulls packages directly from the official PyPI repository at https://pypi.python.org/pypi. For users in certain regions, download speeds can be extremely slow. While you can specify an alternative mirror with the -i flag during installation, configuring a persistent default source eliminates the need for repetitive command-line options.

Solution 1: Using the psm Tool

psm (PyPI Source Manager) is a command-line utility that simplifies switching between package sources. The source code is available on GitHub.

Installation

pip install psm

For systems with both Python 2 and Python 3, install for Python 3 explicitly:

pip3 install psm

Available Commands

List all configured mirrors:

psm ls

The tool supports the following mirrors:

Display the currently active source:

psm show
# Output: Current source is douban

Switch to a different mirror:

psm use douban
# Output: Source is changed to douban

Usage on Windows

Install the package:

pip install psm

Execute commands using the Python module syntax:

python -m psm ls
python -m psm use aliyun
python -m psm show

Solution 2: Configuration File

Available Mirrors

Several Chinese institutions provide pip mirrors:

-阿里云: http://mirrors.aliyun.com/pypi/simple/

• 中国科技大学: https://pypi.mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/simple/
• 豆瓣: https://pypi.douban.com/simple/
• 清华大学: https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple/

Temporary Usage

To use a mirror for a single installation without modifying configuration files:

pip install -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple package-name

Linux Configuration

For pip version 10.0.0 and above, use the config command:

pip config set global.index-url https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple

To upgrade pip itself through a mirror when network connectivity is poor:

pip install -i https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple pip -U

Alternatively, manually edit ~/.config/pip/pip.conf (create the file if it does not exist):

[global]
index-url = https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple
trusted-host = pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn

The trusted-host option is required for HTTP sources or when using HTTPS with custom certificates.

Windows Configuration

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to %APPDATA%
2. Create a pip folder if it does not exist
3. Create pip.ini inside this folder
4. Add the following content:

[global]
timeout = 6000
index-url = https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple
trusted-host = pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn

The full path becomes: %APPDATA%\pip\pip.ini

macOS Configuration

Create the configuration file at:

~/Library/Application Support/pip/pip.conf

Or alternatively at:

~/.config/pip/pip.conf

Add the following content:

[global]
index-url = https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple

[install]
trusted-host = pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn

Important Notes

Configuration file modifications may occasionally cause errors. Prefer HTTPS sources over plain HTTP connections for improved security and reliability. Note that mirror synchronization delays vary—some packages like TensorFlow may not reflect the latest versions immediately on third-party mirrors.