pip install fails because setup.py doesnt get created

[Ghost---Shadow]

• Pip version: pip 9.0.1
• Python version: 3.4 (64 bit)
• Operating System: Linux Mint 17.3

RELEASE=17.3
CODENAME=rosa
EDITION="Cinnamon 64-bit"
DESCRIPTION="Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa"
DESKTOP=Gnome
TOOLKIT=GTK
NEW_FEATURES_URL=http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_rosa_cinnamon_whatsnew.php
RELEASE_NOTES_URL=http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_rosa_cinnamon.php
USER_GUIDE_URL=help:linuxmint
GRUB_TITLE=Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon 64-bit

Description:

I have booted linux up after a long time. Back then I had already installed numpy, tensorflow, nltk etc using pip. Today when I tried installing matplotlib, I noticed that pip doesnt work anymore. I updated pip but still no luck.

What I've run:

mint@mint ~ $ sudo pip3 install cpickle
The directory '/media/mint/D/.cache/pip/http' or its parent directory is not owned by the current user and the cache has been disabled. Please check the permissions and owner of that directory. If executing pip with sudo, you may want sudo's -H flag.
The directory '/home/mint/.cache/pip' or its parent directory is not owned by the current user and caching wheels has been disabled. check the permissions and owner of that directory. If executing pip with sudo, you may want sudo's -H flag.
Collecting cpickle
  Downloading cpickle-0.5.tar.gz
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
      File "/usr/lib/python3.4/tokenize.py", line 438, in open
        buffer = _builtin_open(filename, 'rb')
    FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/tmp/pip-build-dbfvm5s3/cpickle/setup.py'

    ----------------------------------------
Command "python setup.py egg_info" failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip-build-dbfvm5s3/cpickle/

[RonnyPfannschmidt]

at really first glance this one is absolutely invalid, the uploaded file is not a valid python package

also cpickle is in the stdlib, you are not supposed to pip install it

the kicker is, in pyton3, its called just pickle

[Ghost---Shadow]

I thought cpickle was a custom pickle or something. Anyway matplotlib was not getting installed too but I solved it.

I had symlinked the /.cache folder to another directory. I deleted the symlink and created a normal folder.
Then I ran

sudo -H pip3 install matplotlib

and it finally worked! Although I have no idea what -H means.
Sorry, I should have done more googling.