mimedecode requires Python2.7 or 3.3+. Installation script setup.py requires setuptools. mimedecode requires m_lib.defenc library. If you don't have it installed setup.py will try to download and install it before installing mimedecode. Installation using pip: System-wide: sudo pip install --trusted-host phdru.name --find-links=http://phdru.name/Software/Python/ --install-option='-O2' mimedecode User mode: pip install --trusted-host phdru.name --find-links=http://phdru.name/Software/Python/ --install-option='-O2' --user mimedecode Virtual envs: pip install --trusted-host phdru.name --find-links=http://phdru.name/Software/Python/ --install-option='-O2' mimedecode Installation from sources: To install the program from sources system-wide run run the following command: sudo python setup.py install -O2 If you don't want to install it system-wide you can install it in your home directory; run run the following command: python setup.py install -O2 --user Virtual envs: python setup.py install -O2 Option '--user' installs library parts into $HOME/.local/lib/python2.$VERSION/site-packages/. It also installs mimedecode script into $HOME/.local/bin; add the directory to your $PATH or move the script to a directory in your $PATH.