Hugging Face Hub Python Library's 7601-line llms.txt shows what thorough AI preparation looks like

# Installation

Before you start, you will need to setup your environment by installing the appropriate packages.

`huggingface_hub` is tested on **Python 3.8+**.

## Install with pip

It is highly recommended to install `huggingface_hub` in a [virtual environment](https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html).
If you are unfamiliar with Python virtual environments, take a look at this [guide](https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/guides/installing-using-pip-and-virtual-environments/).
A virtual environment makes it easier to manage different projects, and avoid compatibility issues between dependencies.

Start by creating a virtual environment in your project directory:

```bash
python -m venv .env
```

Activate the virtual environment. On Linux and macOS:

```bash
source .env/bin/activate
```

Activate virtual environment on Windows:

```bash
.env/Scripts/activate
```

Now you're ready to install `huggingface_hub` [from the PyPi registry](https://pypi.org/project/huggingface-hub/):

```bash
pip install --upgrade huggingface_hub
```

Once done, [check installation](#check-installation) is working correctly.

### Install optional dependencies

Some dependencies of `huggingface_hub` are [optional](https://setuptools.pypa.io/en/latest/userguide/dependency_management.html#optional-dependencies) because they are not required to run the core features of `huggingface_hub`. However, some features of the `huggingface_hub` may not be available if the optional dependencies aren't installed.

You can install optional dependencies via `pip`:
```bash
# Install dependencies for tensorflow-specific features
# /!\ Warning: this is not equivalent to `pip install tensorflow`
pip install 'huggingface_hub[tensorflow]'

# Install dependencies for both torch-specific and CLI-specific features.
pip install 'huggingface_hub[cli,torch]'
```

Here is the list of optional dependencies in `huggingface_hub`:
- `cli`: provide a more convenient CLI interface for `huggingface_hub`.
- `fastai`, `torch`, `tensorflow`: dependencies to run framework-specific features.
- `dev`: dependencies to contribute to the lib. Includes `testing` (to run tests), `typing` (to run type checker) and `quality` (to run linters).



### Install from source

In some cases, it is interesting to install `huggingface_hub` directly from source.
This allows you to use the bleeding edge `main` version rather than the latest stable version.
The `main` version is useful for staying up-to-date with the latest developments, for instance
if a bug has been fixed since the last official release but a new release hasn't been rolled out yet.

However, this means the `main` version may not always be stable. We strive to keep the
`main` version operational, and most issues are usually resolved
within a few hours or a day. If you run into a problem, please open an Issue so we can
fix it even sooner!

```bash
pip install git+https://github.com/huggingface/huggingface_hub
```

When installing from source, you can also specify a specific branch. This is useful if you
want to test a new feature or a new bug-fix that has not been merged yet:

```bash
pip install git+https://github.com/huggingface/huggingface_hub@my-feature-branch
```

Once done, [check installation](#check-installation) is working correctly.

### Editable install

Installing from source allows you to setup an [editable install](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/topics/local-project-installs/#editable-installs).
This is a more advanced installation if you plan to contribute to `huggingface_hub`
and need to test changes in the code. You need to clone a local copy of `huggingface_hub`
on your machine.

```bash
# First, clone repo locally
git clone https://github.com/huggingface/huggingface_hub.git

# Then, install with -e flag
cd huggingface_hub
pip install -e .
```