Pip: Could not fetch URL for pypi and issue confirming the ssl certificate

Question

I recently just installed python(3.6.1) which is running pip(9.0.1) and I get the following error anytime I try to install a package:

pip install cx_Oracle

Collecting cx_Oracle
  Could not fetch URL https://pypi.python.org/simple/cx-oracle/: There was a pro
blem confirming the ssl certificate: [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificat
e verify failed (_ssl.c:749) - skipping
  Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement cx_Oracle (from versio
ns: )
No matching distribution found for cx_Oracle

Since it was having trouble with certificates I tried doing this:

pip install --trusted-host pypi.python.org pytest-xdist

Collecting pytest-xdist
  Downloading pytest-xdist-1.15.0.tar.gz (87kB)
    100% |████████████████████████████████| 92kB 1.8MB/s
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    Download error on https://pypi.python.org/simple/setuptools_scm/: [SSL: CERT
IFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed (_ssl.c:749) -- Some packages m
ay not be found!
    Download error on https://pypi.python.org/simple/setuptools-scm/: [SSL: CERT
IFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed (_ssl.c:749) -- Some packages m
ay not be found!
    Couldn't find index page for 'setuptools_scm' (maybe misspelled?)
    Download error on https://pypi.python.org/simple/: [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_
FAILED] certificate verify failed (_ssl.c:749) -- Some packages may not be found
!
    No local packages or working download links found for setuptools_scm
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
      File "C:\Users\ALEX~1.CAU\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-7vo4jump\pytest-xdi
st\setup.py", line 37, in <module>
        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3',
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\dis
tutils\core.py", line 108, in setup
        _setup_distribution = dist = klass(attrs)
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\sit
e-packages\setuptools\dist.py", line 315, in __init__
        self.fetch_build_eggs(attrs['setup_requires'])
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\sit
e-packages\setuptools\dist.py", line 361, in fetch_build_eggs
        replace_conflicting=True,
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\sit
e-packages\pkg_resources\__init__.py", line 850, in resolve
        dist = best[req.key] = env.best_match(req, ws, installer)
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\sit
e-packages\pkg_resources\__init__.py", line 1122, in best_match
        return self.obtain(req, installer)
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\sit
e-packages\pkg_resources\__init__.py", line 1134, in obtain
        return installer(requirement)
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\sit
e-packages\setuptools\dist.py", line 429, in fetch_build_egg
        return cmd.easy_install(req)
      File "c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\programs\python\python36\lib\sit
e-packages\setuptools\command\easy_install.py", line 659, in easy_install
        raise DistutilsError(msg)
    distutils.errors.DistutilsError: Could not find suitable distribution for Re
quirement.parse('setuptools_scm')

    ----------------------------------------
Command "python setup.py egg_info" failed with error code 1 in C:\Users\ALEX~1.C
AU\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-7vo4jump\pytest-xdist\

After getting the egg_info error I tried the following:

easy_install -U setuptools

Searching for setuptools
Reading https://pypi.python.org/simple/setuptools/
Download error on https://pypi.python.org/simple/setuptools/: [SSL: CERTIFICATE_
VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed (_ssl.c:749) -- Some packages may not b
e found!
Couldn't retrieve index page for 'setuptools'
Scanning index of all packages (this may take a while)
Reading https://pypi.python.org/simple/
Download error on https://pypi.python.org/simple/: [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAIL
ED] certificate verify failed (_ssl.c:749) -- Some packages may not be found!
Best match: setuptools 28.8.0
Adding setuptools 28.8.0 to easy-install.pth file
Installing easy_install-script.py script to c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\
programs\python\python36\Scripts
Installing easy_install.exe script to c:\users\alex.cauthen\appdata\local\progra
ms\python\python36\Scripts
error: [WinError 5] Access is denied: 'c:\\users\\alex.cauthen\\appdata\\local\\
programs\\python\\python36\\Scripts\\easy_install.exe'

Many of the answers to similar stackoverflow questions have suggested to change proxy settings. I am not working behind a proxy, but I am working behind a VPN. I had a very similar issue with NodeJS/react/npm when installing packages, all the suggestions were to change your proxy settings. I ended up fixing the problem by deleting the file that stored the proxy settings.

I've had trouble locating a file that serves the same function for python/pip and was wondering if anyone knows where it is located on Windows 7? I'd also love to hear other suggestions on how to fix this very frustrating issue!!

Alex

Answer 1

My solution is to first do pip install --trusted-host pypi.python.org setuptools_scm and then install pytest-xdist after that.

The --trusted-host pypi.python.org option worked for me for all my requirements except for pytest-xdist, as you have as an example. The hint is that this particular package complains that

Couldn't find index page for 'setuptools_scm' (maybe misspelled?)

Not a complete answer for what you are asking, but your outputs are similar to what I've just been dealing with, so these are my notes.