title: Why python setup.py gave me the 'error: option --install-dir not recognized' error?
body: <p>When I try to install a python project into a custom local python repo, I use the following command:</p>
  
  <pre><code>python setup.py install --install-dir /home/peng/python-temp
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>where setup.py is the simple setuptools script of python project Keras:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://github.com/keras-team/keras/blob/master/setup.py" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/keras-team/keras/blob/master/setup.py</a></p>
  
  <p>But this command triggers the following error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>usage: setup.py [global_opts] cmd1 [cmd1_opts] [cmd2 [cmd2_opts] ...]
     or: setup.py --help [cmd1 cmd2 ...]
     or: setup.py --help-commands
     or: setup.py cmd --help
  
  error: option --install-dir not recognized
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Why the argument in the error prompt doesn't exist? and what should I use that can effectively replace it?</p>
  
  <p><strong>UPDATE1</strong></p>
  
  <p>The argument --install-dir is prompted by the following error information triggered by setup.py:</p>
  
  <pre><code>python setup.py install
  running install
  
  error: can't create or remove files in install directory
  The following error occurred while trying to add or remove files in the
  installation directory:
  
      [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/test-easy-install-13269.write-test'
  
  The installation directory you specified (via --install-dir, --prefix, or
  the distutils default setting) was:
  
      /usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>UPDATE2</strong> I tried the '--prefix' option and this is what I got:</p>
  
  <pre><code>python setup.py install --prefix /home/peng/python-temp
  running install
  Checking .pth file support in /home/peng/python-temp/lib/python3.6/site-packages/
  /opt/conda3/bin/python -E -c pass
  TEST FAILED: /home/peng/python-temp/lib/python3.6/site-packages/ does NOT support .pth files
  error: bad install directory or PYTHONPATH
  
  You are attempting to install a package to a directory that is not
  on PYTHONPATH and which Python does not read ".pth" files from.  The
  installation directory you specified (via --install-dir, --prefix, or
  the distutils default setting) was:
  
      /home/peng/python-temp/lib/python3.6/site-packages/
  
  and your PYTHONPATH environment variable currently contains:
  
      ''
  
  Here are some of your options for correcting the problem:
  
  * You can choose a different installation directory, i.e., one that is
    on PYTHONPATH or supports .pth files
  
  * You can add the installation directory to the PYTHONPATH environment
    variable.  (It must then also be on PYTHONPATH whenever you run
    Python and want to use the package(s) you are installing.)
  
  * You can set up the installation directory to support ".pth" files by
    using one of the approaches described here:
  
    https://setuptools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/easy_install.html#custom-installation-locations
  
  
  Please make the appropriate changes for your system and try again.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>So none of them works.</p>