Why don't 'pip show' or 'pip list' work for me?

Question

Python's pip is working for me to install and update packages, but some of the documented commands seem not to be supported (at least with 1.2.1 running on OS 10.8.2 and Python 2.7.2). When I try

pip list

or

pip show <pkgname>

I get

Usage: pip COMMAND [OPTIONS]
No command by the name pip <cmd>
  (maybe you meant "pip install <cmd>")

Are these commands not yet implemented (despite being documented)?

Answer 1

The new functions you're looking for are very recent -- they're in 1.2.1.post1, but not in 1.2.1, and the docs you're probably looking at (http://www.pip-installer.org/en/latest/) are currently for 1.2.1.post1.

localhost-2:~ $ pip --version
pip 1.2.1.post1 from /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip-1.2.1.post1-py2.7.egg (python 2.7)
localhost-2:~ $ pip --help
Usage: pip COMMAND [OPTIONS]

Commands:
  bundle               Create pybundles (archives containing multiple packages)
  freeze               Output all currently installed packages (exact versions) to stdout
  help                 Show available commands
  install              Install packages
  list                 List installed packages (including editables).
  search               Search PyPI
  show                 Output installed distributions (exact versions, files) to stdout
  uninstall            Uninstall packages
  unzip                Unzip individual packages
  zip                  Zip individual packages

If you want them, you can get the development version:

git clone https://github.com/pypa/pip.git