Python Task Package Installation and Import Guide

This guide explains how to temporarily install third-party packages at Python task runtime and import them in subsequent code.

Applicable Scenarios

Need to temporarily install third-party packages at task runtime.
Need to install packages from PyPI or a package mirror such as the Tsinghua mirror.
Need to install packages to a temporary directory under /tmp before import.

Runtime Installation Notes

Python tasks run in temporary Pods, and the environment is destroyed after the task completes. Dependencies must be reinstalled on every run; do not rely on a previous installation.
Python tasks run as a non-root user and cannot install dependencies into the system-level site-packages directory. Use --target to install packages into a dedicated temporary directory under /tmp, and add that directory to sys.path before importing.
/tmp is available only for temporary files during the current task run. Do not use it for data that must persist after the task completes.

⚠️ Note: Do not install dependencies under /home or into system Python directories. Python tasks do not guarantee that these directories are writable.

Standard Template (Recommended for Direct Reuse)

import subprocess import sys TARGET_DIR = "/tmp/python_packages" INDEX_URL = "https://pypi.org/simple" subprocess.check_call([ sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "config", "--target", TARGET_DIR, "--index-url", INDEX_URL, "--no-cache-dir", ]) sys.path.insert(0, TARGET_DIR) import config

Quick Switch to Tsinghua Mirror

If access to PyPI is slow, change INDEX_URL in the template to the Tsinghua mirror:

INDEX_URL = "https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple"

Common Errors and Troubleshooting

Error: `ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'xxx'`

Check in order:

Whether --target was used but that directory was not added to sys.path.
Whether the directory was added to sys.path only after the import statement.
Whether sys.path.append() added the path at the end, allowing another module with the same name to shadow the installed package. Use sys.path.insert(0, TARGET_DIR) instead.
Whether the package name and module name match (some packages are pip install A, but import B).

Error: `Permission denied`

Check whether --target points to a directory under /tmp. Do not use /home, the system site-packages directory, or any other directory that is not explicitly documented as writable.