In the early days of Python, installing a library wasn't as simple as a single command. Developers relied on a module called distutils . To install a package, you would download the source code, navigate to the folder in your terminal, and run the legendary command: python setup.py install
While largely deprecated for general libraries, you will still find install.py in specific, specialized corners of the tech world: install.py
To solve this, the community moved toward . Instead of running an installation script every time, developers pre-built the software into a "wheel" file. Now, when you run pip install , it rarely executes an install.py script anymore; it simply unpacks the pre-built files into the right place. The Legend Today: Where install.py Lives On In the early days of Python, installing a