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Using tools
A guide to using uv to run tools published as Python packages, including one-off invocations with uvx, requesting specific tool versions, installing tools, upgrading tools, and more.

Using tools

Many Python packages provide applications that can be used as tools. uv has specialized support for easily invoking and installing tools.

Running tools

The uvx command invokes a tool without installing it.

For example, to run ruff:

$ uvx ruff

!!! note

This is exactly equivalent to:

```console
$ uv tool run ruff
```

`uvx` is provided as an alias for convenience.

Arguments can be provided after the tool name:

$ uvx pycowsay hello from uv

  -------------
< hello from uv >
  -------------
   \   ^__^
    \  (oo)\_______
       (__)\       )\/\
           ||----w |
           ||     ||

Tools are installed into temporary, isolated environments when using uvx.

!!! note

If you are running a tool in a [_project_](../concepts/projects/index.md) and the tool requires that
your project is installed, e.g., when using `pytest` or `mypy`, you'll want to use
[`uv run`](./projects.md#running-commands) instead of `uvx`. Otherwise, the tool will be run in
a virtual environment that is isolated from your project.

If your project has a flat structure, e.g., instead of using a `src` directory for modules,
the project itself does not need to be installed and `uvx` is fine. In this case, using
`uv run` is only beneficial if you want to pin the version of the tool in the project's
dependencies.

Commands with different package names

When uvx ruff is invoked, uv installs the ruff package which provides the ruff command. However, sometimes the package and command names differ.

The --from option can be used to invoke a command from a specific package, e.g., http which is provided by httpie:

$ uvx --from httpie http

Requesting specific versions

To run a tool at a specific version, use command@<version>:

$ uvx [email protected] check

To run a tool at the latest version, use command@latest:

$ uvx ruff@latest check

The --from option can also be used to specify package versions, as above:

$ uvx --from 'ruff==0.3.0' ruff check

Or, to constrain to a range of versions:

$ uvx --from 'ruff>0.2.0,<0.3.0' ruff check

Note the @ syntax cannot be used for anything other than an exact version.

Requesting extras

The --from option can be used to run a tool with extras:

$ uvx --from 'mypy[faster-cache,reports]' mypy --xml-report mypy_report

This can also be combined with version selection:

$ uvx --from 'mypy[faster-cache,reports]==1.13.0' mypy --xml-report mypy_report

Requesting different sources

The --from option can also be used to install from alternative sources.

For example, to pull from git:

$ uvx --from git+https://github.com/httpie/cli httpie

You can also pull the latest commit from a specific named branch:

$ uvx --from git+https://github.com/httpie/cli@master httpie

Or pull a specific tag:

$ uvx --from git+https://github.com/httpie/[email protected] httpie

Or even a specific commit:

$ uvx --from git+https://github.com/httpie/cli@2843b87 httpie

Commands with plugins

Additional dependencies can be included, e.g., to include mkdocs-material when running mkdocs:

$ uvx --with mkdocs-material mkdocs --help

Installing tools

If a tool is used often, it is useful to install it to a persistent environment and add it to the PATH instead of invoking uvx repeatedly.

!!! tip

`uvx` is a convenient alias for `uv tool run`. All of the other commands for interacting with
tools require the full `uv tool` prefix.

To install ruff:

$ uv tool install ruff

When a tool is installed, its executables are placed in a bin directory in the PATH which allows the tool to be run without uv. If it's not on the PATH, a warning will be displayed and uv tool update-shell can be used to add it to the PATH.

After installing ruff, it should be available:

$ ruff --version

Unlike uv pip install, installing a tool does not make its modules available in the current environment. For example, the following command will fail:

$ python -c "import ruff"

This isolation is important for reducing interactions and conflicts between dependencies of tools, scripts, and projects.

Unlike uvx, uv tool install operates on a package and will install all executables provided by the tool.

For example, the following will install the http, https, and httpie executables:

$ uv tool install httpie

Additionally, package versions can be included without --from:

$ uv tool install 'httpie>0.1.0'

And, similarly, for package sources:

$ uv tool install git+https://github.com/httpie/cli

As with uvx, installations can include additional packages:

$ uv tool install mkdocs --with mkdocs-material

Upgrading tools

To upgrade a tool, use uv tool upgrade:

$ uv tool upgrade ruff

Tool upgrades will respect the version constraints provided when installing the tool. For example, uv tool install ruff >=0.3,<0.4 followed by uv tool upgrade ruff will upgrade Ruff to the latest version in the range >=0.3,<0.4.

To instead replace the version constraints, re-install the tool with uv tool install:

$ uv tool install ruff>=0.4

To instead upgrade all tools:

$ uv tool upgrade --all

Requesting Python versions

By default, uv will use your default Python interpreter (the first it finds) when when running, installing, or upgrading tools. You can specify the Python interpreter to use with the --python option.

For example, to request a specific Python version when running a tool:

$ uvx --python 3.10 ruff

Or, when installing a tool:

$ uv tool install --python 3.10 ruff

Or, when upgrading a tool:

$ uv tool upgrade --python 3.10 ruff

For more details on requesting Python versions, see the Python version concept page..

Legacy Windows Scripts

Tools also support running legacy setuptools scripts. These scripts are available via $(uv tool dir)\<tool-name>\Scripts when installed.

Currently only legacy scripts with the .ps1, .cmd, and .bat extensions are supported.

For example, below is an example running a Command Prompt script.

$ uv tool run --from nuitka==2.6.7 nuitka.cmd --version

In addition, you don't need to specify the extension. uvx will automatically look for files ending in .ps1, .cmd, and .bat in that order of execution on your behalf.

$ uv tool run --from nuitka==2.6.7 nuitka --version

Next steps

To learn more about managing tools with uv, see the Tools concept page and the command reference.

Or, read on to learn how to work on projects.