# ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pip'

- **ID:** `python/pip-venv-pip-missing-after-ensurepip`
- **Domain:** python
- **Category:** install_error
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 80%

## Root Cause

A venv was created with `--without-pip`, or ensurepip failed silently, leaving the environment without pip installed.

## Version Compatibility

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

## Workarounds

1. **** (90% success)
   ```
   Bootstrap pip via get-pip.py: `curl -sS https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py | python`.
   ```
2. **** (95% success)
   ```
   Recreate the venv without --without-pip: `rm -rf .venv && python -m venv .venv`.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — On some distros (Debian/Ubuntu) ensurepip is disabled and prints a message suggesting apt install python3-pip instead. (60% fail)
- **** — pip is the module being invoked; the command cannot run before pip exists. (95% fail)