# ERROR: Could not install packages due to an OSError: [Errno 28] No space left on device

- **ID:** `python/pip-no-space-left-on-device-cache`
- **Domain:** python
- **Category:** system_error
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## Root Cause

pip's HTTP cache or tmp build directory filled the disk. Common in CI containers with small overlay filesystems, or when the pip cache grows unbounded across many builds.

## Version Compatibility

| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated |
|---------|--------|------------|------------|
| 3.8 | active | — | — |
| 3.9 | active | — | — |
| 3.10 | active | — | — |
| 3.11 | active | — | — |
| 3.12 | active | — | — |

## Workarounds

1. **** (95% success)
   ```
   pip cache purge && pip cache dir
   ```
2. **** (90% success)
   ```
   export TMPDIR=/mnt/bigdisk/tmp && mkdir -p $TMPDIR && pip install package
   ```
3. **** (85% success)
   ```
   pip config set global.cache-dir /tmp/pipcache && pip install --no-cache-dir package
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — Disables caching but the build still needs temp space; if /tmp is full it still fails. (60% fail)
- **** — Changes install location but not disk usage; root filesystem is still full. (90% fail)