Fix "pip uninstall" error code

news/5073.bugfix.rst

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixes open issue where uninstalling a package that exists outside the environment returns an incorrect exit status.

src/pip/_internal/req/req_uninstall.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from importlib.util import cache_from_source
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
+from pip._internal.cli.status_codes import ERROR
 from pip._internal.exceptions import LegacyDistutilsInstall, UninstallMissingRecord
 from pip._internal.locations import get_bin_prefix, get_bin_user
 from pip._internal.metadata import BaseDistribution
@@ -355,8 +356,9 @@ def remove(self, auto_confirm: bool = False, verbose: bool = False) -> None:
 
         if not self._paths:
             logger.info(
-                "Can't uninstall '%s'. No files were found to uninstall.",
+                "Can't uninstall '%s'. Exists outside environment, exit status %s.",
                 self._dist.raw_name,
+                ERROR,
             )
             return
 

tests/functional/test_uninstall.py

@@ -512,7 +512,9 @@ def test_uninstallpathset_no_paths(caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture) -> None:
     uninstall_set = UninstallPathSet(test_dist)
     uninstall_set.remove()  # with no files added to set
 
-    assert "Can't uninstall 'pip'. No files were found to uninstall." in caplog.text
+    assert (
+        "Can't uninstall 'pip'. Exists outside environment, exit status" in caplog.text
+    )
 
 
 def test_uninstall_non_local_distutils(