[[!meta title="How can I install Python modules in my locker?"]]
First, note that many Python modules are already installed on
scripts.mit.edu, and we’re generally pretty willing to install
generally-useful software globally; email us at
[scripts@mit.edu](mailto:scripts@mit.edu) to ask. This has the
advantage that you won’t have to worry about keeping the packages
up to date; in some cases, using out-of-date modules could lead to
security vulnerabilities in your site.

Sometimes, however, you may want to install a specific Python
module from [PyPI](http://pypi.python.org/) in your locker, say
because you want to modify it or because you need a different
version than what’s installed globally. This is pretty straight
forward. First, you need to create the directory to install into
and give scripts.mit.edu permission to it. From an Athena prompt,
do the following, where lockername is the name of your locker:

    % add consult
    % mkdir -p /mit/lockername/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/
    % fsr sa /mit/lockername/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ \
        daemon.scripts write

Then, to install a package,
[ssh into scripts.mit.edu as your locker](/faq/41/) and run

    $ easy_install --user -Z packagename

where packagename is the package you want to install. To upgrade
something you already have installed, simply do:

    $ easy_install --user -Z -U packagename

These packages will be automatically available to Python scripts
you run on scripts.mit.edu.

Note that because the modules are tied to the minor version of
Python they were built with, you will need to install the modules
again if the system Python is upgraded. Be sure to add yourself to
the
[scripts-announce mailing list](http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/scripts-announce)
so you will be notified about such transitions.