pyinvoke
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No. The package is abandoned (last release 2018-09-20, no maintenance since) with high install friction and no clear evidence of ongoing compatibility with modern Python. Before adopting it, verify whether the original relative-import problem it solves is still relevant to your use case, and explore whether standard Python tooling or modern alternatives now handle this scenario better.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python to be invoked with -m pyinvoke; the target module must be importable and the function must exist at the specified path.
- High install friction and abandoned maintenance status (last release 2018-09-20, no activity since).
- No runtime dependencies, but the package has received no updates in years and shows no active development.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it legally safe to adopt from a licensing perspective.
last release 2018-09-20 (2885 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 208,218 downloads/mo, #9,533 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pyinvoke
python -m pyinvoke module.main:main- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python versions (last tested/released in 2018).
- Whether relative import handling remains compatible with current Python semantics.
- Active alternatives or whether this problem is now solved by standard Python tooling.
What it is and what it does
pyinvoke is a lightweight module launcher that runs a Python function specified by a full module path (e.g., `module.main:main`), ensuring the target loads as its proper module rather than as `__main__`. This solves a specific problem: when you run a module directly with `python -m module.main`, relative imports within that module fail because Python doesn't recognize the parent package context. pyinvoke becomes `__main__` instead, allowing the target to load correctly and perform relative imports.
The package has no runtime dependencies and is simple to use: invoke it with `python -m pyinvoke <module>:<function>`. However, it has been abandoned since September 2018 with no updates or maintenance activity since then, and there is no indication of ongoing support or compatibility testing with modern Python versions.
Use it for
- Running a module that uses relative imports when direct invocation with `python -m` fails due to parent module loading issues.
- Launching Python applications from scripts or automation tools that need to preserve module context and relative import behavior.
- Workaround for packages that cannot be restructured to avoid relative import problems in their entry points.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No.
The package is abandoned (last release 2018-09-20, no maintenance since) with high install friction and no clear evidence of ongoing compatibility with modern Python. Before adopting it, verify whether the original relative-import problem it solves is still relevant to your use case, and explore whether standard Python tooling or modern alternatives now handle this scenario better.
Install
pyinvoke on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction and abandoned maintenance status (last release 2018-09-20, no activity since). No runtime dependencies, but the package has received no updates in years and shows no active development.
Requires Python to be invoked with -m pyinvoke; the target module must be importable and the function must exist at the specified path.
License in practice
MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it legally safe to adopt from a licensing perspective.
Quickstart
pip install pyinvoke
python -m pyinvoke module.main:mainVerify before relying
- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python versions (last tested/released in 2018).
- Whether relative import handling remains compatible with current Python semantics.
- Active alternatives or whether this problem is now solved by standard Python tooling.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 2,885 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 208,218 / month, #9,533 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: pyinvoke-1.0.4.tar.gz
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