How to Install Llama Index in Python

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The LlamaIndex Python library is a mind-blowing 🤯 tool that lets you easily access large language models (LLMs) from your Python applications.

Overview

🦙 LlamaIndex is a powerful tool to implement the “Retrieval Augmented Generation” (RAG) concept in practical Python code. If you want to become an exponential Python developer who wants to leverage large language models (aka. Alien Technology) to 10x your coding productivity, you’ve come to the right place.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to install it easily and quickly so you can use it in your own Python code bases.

💡 Recommended: LlamaIndex Getting Started – Your First Example in Python

pip install llama-index

Alternatively, you may use any of the following commands to install llama-index, depending on your concrete environment. One is likely to work!

💡 If you have only one version of Python installed:
pip install llama-index

💡 If you have Python 3 (and, possibly, other versions) installed:
pip3 install llama-index

💡 If you don't have PIP or it doesn't work
python -m pip install llama-index
python3 -m pip install llama-index

💡 If you have Linux and you need to fix permissions (any one):
sudo pip3 install llama-index
pip3 install llama-index --user

💡 If you have Linux with apt
sudo apt install llama-index

💡 If you have Windows and you have set up the py alias
py -m pip install llama-index

💡 If you have Anaconda
conda install -c anaconda llama-index

💡 If you have Jupyter Notebook
!pip install llama-index
!pip3 install llama-index

This will also install third-party dependencies like OpenAI; one PIP command to rule them all!

However, when using it in your own code, you’d use the lines:

import llama_index # not: llama-index

# or

from llama_index import VectorStoreIndex, SimpleWebPageReader

Let’s dive into the installation guides for the different operating systems and environments!

How to Install Llama Index on Windows?

To install the updated llama-index framework on your Windows machine, run the following code in your command line or Powershell:

  • python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
  • python3 -m pip install --upgrade llama-index

Here’s the code for copy&pasting:

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
python3 -m pip install --upgrade llama-index

I really think not enough coders have a solid understanding of PowerShell. If this is you, feel free to check out the following tutorials on the Finxter blog.

Related Articles:

How to Install Llama Index on Mac?

Open Terminal (Applications/Terminal) and run:

  • xcode-select -install (You will be prompted to install the Xcode Command Line Tools)
  • sudo easy_install pip
  • sudo pip install llama-index
  • pip install llama-index

As an alternative, you can also run the following two commands to update pip and install the Llama Index library:

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
python3 -m pip install --upgrade llama-index

These you have already seen before, haven’t you?

Related Article:

👉 Recommended: I Created a ChatGPT-Powered Website Creator with ChatGPT – Here’s What I Learned

How to Install Llama Index on Linux?

To upgrade pip and install the llama-index library, you can use the following two commands, one after the other.

  • python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
  • python3 -m pip install --upgrade llama-index

Here’s the code for copy&pasting:

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
python3 -m pip install --upgrade llama-index

How to Install Llama Index on Ubuntu?

Upgrade pip and install the llama-index library using the following two commands, one after the other:

  • python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
  • python3 -m pip install --upgrade llama-index

Here’s the code for copy&pasting:

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
python3 -m pip install --upgrade llama-index

How to Install Llama Index in PyCharm?

The simplest way to install llama-index in PyCharm is to open the terminal tab and run the pip install llama-index command.

This is shown in the following code:

pip install llama-index

Here’s a screenshot of the two steps:

  1. Open Terminal tab in Pycharm
  2. Run pip install llama-index in the terminal to install Llama Index in a virtual environment.
Install openai
Analogous example – replace “Pillow” with “llama-index”

As an alternative, you can also search for llama-index in the package manager. Easy peasy. 🦙✅

How to Install Llama Index in Anaconda?

You can install the Llama Index package with Conda using the command conda install -c anaconda llama-index in your shell or terminal.

Like so:

 conda install -c anaconda llama-index

This assumes you’ve already installed conda on your computer. If you haven’t check out the installation steps on the official page.

How to Install Llama Index in VSCode?

You can install Llama Index in VSCode by using the same command pip install llama-index in your Visual Studio Code shell or terminal.

pip install llama-index

If this doesn’t work — it may raise a No module named 'llama_index' error — chances are that you’ve installed it for the wrong Python version on your system.

To check which version your VS Code environment uses, run these two commands in your Python program to check the version that executes it:

import sys
print(sys.executable)

The output will be the path to the Python installation that runs the code in VS Code.

Now, you can use this path to install Llama Index particularly for that Python version:

/path/to/vscode/python -m pip install llama-index

Wait until the installation is complete and run your code using llama-index again. It should work now!

Programmer Humor

❓ Question: How did the programmer die in the shower? ☠️

❗ Answer: They read the shampoo bottle instructions:
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Do you want to keep learning? Feel free to read this Finxter blog:

🦙 Recommended: LlamaIndex – What the Fuzz?