How to Uninstall Pylint in Python

Pylint is a popular Python linter. It helps check code quality. But sometimes, you may need to uninstall it. This guide explains how.

Why Uninstall Pylint?

You might want to uninstall Pylint for various reasons. Maybe you no longer need it. Or you want to free up space. Or you are switching to another linter.

Whatever the reason, uninstalling Pylint is simple. Follow the steps below.

Check if Pylint is Installed

First, verify if Pylint is installed. Use the pip list command. This lists all installed Python packages.

 
pip list

Package    Version
-------    -------
pylint     2.12.2
pip        22.0.4

If Pylint appears in the list, it is installed. Now you can proceed to uninstall it.

Uninstall Pylint Using Pip

The easiest way to uninstall Pylint is with pip uninstall. Run the command below.

 
pip uninstall pylint

Found existing installation: pylint 2.12.2
Uninstalling pylint-2.12.2:
  Would remove:
    /path/to/pylint
Proceed (Y/n)? Y
Successfully uninstalled pylint-2.12.2

Confirm the uninstallation by typing Y. Pylint will be removed from your system.

Verify Uninstallation

After uninstalling, verify Pylint is gone. Use pip list again.

 
pip list

Package    Version
-------    -------
pip        22.0.4

Pylint should no longer appear in the list. This confirms it was uninstalled.

Uninstall Pylint Globally

If Pylint was installed globally, use pip uninstall with admin rights. On Linux or Mac, use sudo.

 
sudo pip uninstall pylint

On Windows, run the command prompt as administrator. Then run the uninstall command.

Uninstall Pylint from a Virtual Environment

If Pylint is in a virtual environment, activate it first. Then run pip uninstall.

 
source venv/bin/activate  # Linux/Mac
pip uninstall pylint

For Windows, use the command below.

 
venv\Scripts\activate
pip uninstall pylint

Common Issues

Sometimes, uninstalling Pylint may fail. Here are some fixes.

Permission Denied: Use sudo or run as admin.

Package Not Found: Ensure Pylint is installed. Check with pip list.

Partial Uninstallation: Manually delete残留 files. Look in site-packages.

Alternative Linters

If you uninstalled Pylint for another linter, consider these options.

Flake8: A lightweight linter. Combines PyFlakes and pep8.

Black: A code formatter. Ensures consistent style. Learn how to uninstall Black if needed.

Mypy: A static type checker. Helps catch type errors. See how to uninstall Mypy.

Conclusion

Uninstalling Pylint is straightforward. Use pip uninstall pylint. Verify with pip list.

If you face issues, check permissions or残留 files. For other tools, like autopep8, the process is similar.

Now you know how to cleanly remove Pylint. Happy coding!