`pip list` should not perform a self-update check

[kloczek]

Description

Running pip in env which is cu off from public network I found that on each execution it tries to check availability of its new version.
It causes long freezing of pip command and atthe end it prints message WARNING: There was an error checking the latest version of pip.

Expected behavior

IMO pip should only do what is specified in commad lie parameters and nothing more.

pip version

22.3.1

Python version

3.8.16

OS

Linux x86/64

How to Reproduce

Run pip list in env which is cut off from access to the public network.

Output

Example:

$ time pip list
Package                       Version
----------------------------- -----------------
alabaster                     0.7.12
appdirs                       1.4.4

[..]

urllib3                       1.26.12
wheel                         0.38.4
zipp                          3.11.0
WARNING: There was an error checking the latest version of pip.

real    2m0.771s
user    0m0.605s
sys     0m0.114s

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow the PSF Code of Conduct.

[sbidoul]

@kloczek does the --disable-pip-version-check option help in your case?

[kloczek]

Yes it helps however checking own version should not be part of the pip execution.
pip is python package management command and it suppose only do what is specified.
IMO whole version checking code can be removed because there are other commands which are dedicated to check version like pip install -U --dry-run pip.

[kloczek]

BTW when pip checks its own version it is not possible to stop it using ctrl-c.

[kloczek]

Othr observation: just tested pip install -U --dry-run pip and looks lik pip blindly several times is trying to access to pypi repo instead check pypi availability one time and than exit with error.

[tkloczko@devel-g2v SPECS]$ time pip install -U --dry-run pip
Defaulting to user installation because normal site-packages is not writeable
Requirement already satisfied: pip in /usr/lib/python3.8/site-packages (22.3.1)
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=4, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'NewConnectionError('<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x7f4667176880>: Failed to establish a new connection: [Errno -3] Temporary failure in name resolution')': /simple/pip/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=3, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'NewConnectionError('<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x7f4667176b80>: Failed to establish a new connection: [Errno -3] Temporary failure in name resolution')': /simple/pip/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=2, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'NewConnectionError('<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x7f4667176d30>: Failed to establish a new connection: [Errno -3] Temporary failure in name resolution')': /simple/pip/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=1, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'NewConnectionError('<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x7f4667176f10>: Failed to establish a new connection: [Errno -3] Temporary failure in name resolution')': /simple/pip/
WARNING: Retrying (Retry(total=0, connect=None, read=None, redirect=None, status=None)) after connection broken by 'NewConnectionError('<pip._vendor.urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x7f4667123040>: Failed to establish a new connection: [Errno -3] Temporary failure in name resolution')': /simple/pip/
WARNING: There was an error checking the latest version of pip.

real    13m1.157s
user    0m0.578s
sys     0m0.132s

[kloczek]

Looks like even on pip install -U --dry-run pip at the end pip is trying to check ots own version one more time 😋

[sbidoul]

Yes it helps however checking own version should not be part of the pip execution.

This is a conscious design tradeoff, as we believe it is important to encourage users to upgrade to the latest pip version.
For situation like yours where this default behaviour is problematic we provide a way to disable it. This option can be enabled in a variety of ways, including globally or per user.

[pradyunsg]

Well, there is a legitimate workable thing here: pip list is primarily an (offline) introspection command and it shouldn't be invoking the self-check logic unless --outdated is passed.

[kloczek]

If every possible software woud be encouraging users to upgrade something on every possible sotware execution it would be nightmare .. especially on the systems which has no access to public network.
Providing possibility to dissabla such functionality in configuration is not a solution as well 🤔

Really such functionality does not make to much sense.
If someone cannot od don't wat to upgrade whatever will be implemented in pip it will have no effect.

I'm going to prepare patch which will completly remove that functionality.
Really pip should be doing only what that tools is asked .. and nothing more. KISS principle ..