Error: failed to get versions for pipxu.

[glensc]

Pardon me for trying to use this software on a very old system (macOS 10.15.8).

$ uv --version
uv 0.4.1 (Homebrew 2024-08-30)

$ which uv
/usr/local/bin/uv

$ pipx install pipxu
  installed package pipxu 1.34, installed using Python 3.12.5
  These apps are now globally available
    - pipxu
    - pipxu-bootstrap
done! ✨ 🌟 ✨

$ pipxu install pipxu
>>> Running uv venv -p python3 -q '/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1'
Created "/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1" using "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/bin/python3.12" (3.12.3)
>>> Running uv pip install -p '/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1' --compile-bytecode --no-deps pipxu
Resolved 1 package in 286ms
Prepared 1 package in 37ms
Installed 1 package in 13ms
Bytecode compiled 17 files in 200ms
 + pipxu==1.34
Error: failed to get versions for pipxu.

$ which python3
/Users/glen/.rye/shims/python3

$ /Users/glen/.rye/shims/python3 --version
Python 3.14.4

Also, weird that it picked 3.12

[glensc]

$ python3.14 --version
Python 3.14.4

$ pipxu install pipxu -p python3.14
>>> Running uv venv -p python3.14 -q '/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1'
Created "/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1" using "/usr/local/Cellar/python@3.14/3.14.4_1/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.14/bin/python3.14" (3.14.4)
>>> Running uv pip install -p '/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1' --compile-bytecode --no-deps pipxu
Resolved 1 package in 33ms
Installed 1 package in 24ms
Bytecode compiled 17 files in 318ms
 + pipxu==1.34
Error: failed to get versions for pipxu.

[bulletmark]

That uv version is 2 years old which in uv development terms is ancient so very likely this tool will not work with it. You say "very old system" but uv is not part of MacOS and presumably you installed it yourself manually so why don't you just update it? I'd recommend just using the uv standalone installer and from then on just uv self update.

[glensc]

Since readme contained even older version, I assumed it should still work:

The uv program must be installed (and it's version must be 0.1.33 or later).

so, why don't you just update it

ran into difficulties updating it :) but i keep trying.

But seems the error comes from uv? Can it be told to run more verbosely to find the problem?

[bulletmark]

I created pipxu as a better pipx when uv was little more that a fancy venv + pip. Subsequently, uv has also added pipx functionality with the uv tool interface. Does uv tool install pipxu work? And, to be honest, why are you not using uv tool anyhow since it pretty much supercedes pipxu?

[glensc]

it works now (you can update docs?)

$ uv --version
uv 0.11.10 (Homebrew 2026-05-05 x86_64-apple-darwin)

$ pipxu install pipxu
>>> Running uv venv -p python3 -q '/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1'
Created "/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1" using "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/bin/python3.12" (3.12.3)
>>> Running uv pip install -p '/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1' --compile-bytecode --no-deps pipxu
Using Python 3.12.3 environment at: /Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1
Resolved 1 package in 292ms
Prepared 1 package in 181ms
Installed 1 package in 14ms
Bytecode compiled 17 files in 208ms
 + pipxu==1.34
>>> Running uv pip install -p '/Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1' --compile-bytecode pipxu
Using Python 3.12.3 environment at: /Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1
Resolved 5 packages in 345ms
Prepared 4 packages in 112ms
Installed 4 packages in 7ms
Bytecode compiled 62 files in 185ms
 + argparse-from-file==1.8
 + filelock==3.29.0
 + packaging==26.2
 + platformdirs==4.9.6
Using Python 3.12.3 environment at: /Users/glen/Library/Application Support/pipxu/venvs/1

[glensc]

I created pipxu as a better pipx when uv was little more that a fancy venv + pip. Subsequently, uv has also added pipx functionality with the uv tool interface. Does uv tool install pipxu work? And, to be honest, why are you not using uv tool anyhow since it pretty much supercedes pipxu?

1. I found this tool and thought to give it a try, because of same reasons: pipx is slow, stupid (buggy), and their support sucks (slow to address issues, or just don't want to change)
2. I'm a maintainer of https://github.com/Taxel/PlexTraktSync, so I'm looking ways to install python apps, easier for user, more platform support; add support different install methods
3. thanks for the uv tool info, I'll give it a try

are you going to reture pipxu project since uv does what's needed?

[bulletmark]

No, pipxu supports man pages (as you discovered) but uv tool does not. There are some other minor differences I prefer. pipxu also has a debug command which, as a developer of tools, I find extremely handy to use with pudb.

I generally use uv tool for mainstream projects and pipxu for all my personal tools. But I recommend that most general users are better off using uv for everything python related.