# Install AWS ParallelCluster in a virtual environment (recommended)
<a name="install-v3-virtual-environment"></a>

We recommend that you install AWS ParallelCluster in a virtual environment to avoid requirement version conflicts with other `pip` packages.

**Prerequisites**
+ AWS ParallelCluster requires Python 3.7 or later. If you don't already have it installed, [download a compatible version](https://www.python.org/downloads/) for your platform at [python.org](https://www.python.org/).

**To install AWS ParallelCluster in a virtual environment**

1. If `virtualenv` isn't installed, install `virtualenv` using `pip3`. If `python3 -m virtualenv help` displays help information, go to step 2.

   ```
   $ python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
   $ python3 -m pip install --user --upgrade virtualenv
   ```

   Run `exit` to leave the current terminal window and open a new terminal window to pick up changes to the environment.

1. Create a virtual environment and name it.

   ```
   $ python3 -m virtualenv ~/apc-ve
   ```

   Alternatively, you can use the `-p` option to specify a specific version of Python.

   ```
   $ python3  -m virtualenv -p $(which python3) ~/apc-ve
   ```

1. <a name="activate-virtual-environment-3"></a>Activate your new virtual environment.

   ```
   $ source ~/apc-ve/bin/activate
   ```

1. Install AWS ParallelCluster into your virtual environment.

   ```
   (apc-ve)~$ python3 -m pip install --upgrade "aws-parallelcluster"
   ```

1. Install Node Version Manager and the latest Long-Term Support (LTS) Node.js version. AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK) requires Node.js for CloudFormation for template generation.
**Note**  
If your Node.js installation isn't working on your platform, you can install an LTS version prior to the latest LTS version. For more information, see the [Node.js release schedule](https://github.com/nodejs/release#release-schedule) and the [AWS CDK](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/v2/guide/work-with.html#work-with-prerequisites) prerequisites.  
Example Node.js installation command:  

   ```
   $  nvm install --lts=Hydrogen
   ```

   ```
   $ curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.38.0/install.sh | bash
   $ chmod ug+x ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
   $ source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
   $ nvm install --lts
   $ node --version
   ```

1. Verify that AWS ParallelCluster is installed correctly.

   ```
   $ pcluster version
   {
     "version": "3.15.0"
   }
   ```

You can use the `deactivate` command to exit the virtual environment. Each time you start a session, you must [reactivate the environment](#activate-virtual-environment-3).

To upgrade to the latest version of AWS ParallelCluster, run the installation command again.

```
(apc-ve)~$ python3 -m pip install --upgrade "aws-parallelcluster"
```