Difference between revisions of "Set up a Python virtual environment"
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== Create == | == Create == | ||
<code>venv</code> is a tool that can be used to create | <code>venv</code> is a tool that can be used to create a virtual environment. The command is | ||
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> | |||
python3 -m venv {target directory} | |||
</syntaxhighlight> | |||
Often the target directory is named <code>venv</code>, for easy identification in the future when activating it. For example: | |||
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> | <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> | ||
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</syntaxhighlight> | </syntaxhighlight> | ||
When this is run, <code>venv</code> creates the target directory (in this case <code>venv</code>), and any parent directories that don't exist yet. It also puts a <code>pyvenv.cfg</code> file with a <code>home</code> key that points to the installation of Python from where the command was run. | When this is run, <code>venv</code> creates the target directory (in this case, named <code>venv</code>), and any parent directories that don't exist yet. It also puts a <code>pyvenv.cfg</code> file with a <code>home</code> key that points to the installation of Python from where the command was run. | ||
== Activate == | == Activate == |
Revision as of 18:50, 4 November 2021
Python virtual environments run their own site directories, allowing them to be optionally separated from system directories. This can easily avoid a potential nightmare of version conflicts - one piece of software on your system may require a certain version to run, while another make require a different one.
Create
venv
is a tool that can be used to create a virtual environment. The command is
python3 -m venv {target directory}
Often the target directory is named venv
, for easy identification in the future when activating it. For example:
python3 -m venv venv
When this is run, venv
creates the target directory (in this case, named venv
), and any parent directories that don't exist yet. It also puts a pyvenv.cfg
file with a home
key that points to the installation of Python from where the command was run.
Activate
source venv/bin/activate
You will see the prompt change to something like this:
(venv)Username@Computer myfolder %
Use
Install dependencies within the new Python virtual environment, using pip
, the default package manager for Unix-like systems such as Mac OS and Linux. Swap out the {packagename} for the package you want to install.
pip install {packagename}
Deactivate
To stop it, type:
deactivate
Close
Simply type
exit
Remove
To remove a Python virtual environment, first deactivate it. Then you can use rm
to remove it.
rm -r venv
A more thorough method is to specify removal of the files and folders made when the environment was created. In the folder where the venv is, run
rm -r bin include lib lib64 pyvenv.cfg share