I have a Debian system currently running with python 2.5.4. I got virtualenv properly installed, everything is working fine. Is there a possibility that I can use a virtualenv with a different version of Python?
I compiled Python 2.6.2 and would like to use it with some virtualenv. Is it enough to overwrite the binary file? Or do I have to change something in respect to the libraries?
436 Answers
Just use the --python (or short -p) option when creating your virtualenv instance to specify the Python executable you want to use, e.g.:
virtualenv --python=/usr/bin/python2.6 <path/to/new/virtualenv/> N.B. For Python 3.3 or later, refer to The Aelfinn's answer below.
20Since Python 3, the Python Docs suggest creating the virtual environment with the following command:
python3 -m venv <myenvname> Please note that venv does not permit creating virtual environments with other versions of Python. For that, install and use the virtualenv package.
Obsolete information
The pyvenv script can be used to create a virtual environment
pyvenv /path/to/new/virtual/environment but it has been deprecated since Python 3.6.
10These are the steps you can follow when you are on a shared hosting environment and need to install & compile Python from source and then create venv from your Python version. For Python 2.7.9. you would do something along these lines:
mkdir ~/src wget tar -zxvf Python-2.7.9.tgz cd Python-2.7.9 mkdir ~/.localpython ./configure --prefix=$HOME/.localpython make make install virtual env
cd ~/src wget tar -zxvf virtualenv-15.0.2.tar.gz cd virtualenv-15.0.2/ ~/.localpython/bin/python setup.py install virtualenv ve -p $HOME/.localpython/bin/python2.7 source ve/bin/activate Naturally, this can be applicable to any situation where you want to replicate the exact environment you work and deploy on.
9There is an easier way,
virtualenv venv --python=python2.7 Thanks to a comment, this only works if you have python2.7 installed at the system level (e.g. /usr/bin/python2.7).
Otherwise, if you are using homebrew you can use the path to give you what you want.
virtualenv venv --python=/usr/local/bin/python You can find the path to your python installation with
which python This will also work with python 3.
which python3 >> /usr/local/bin/python3 virtualenv venv --python=/usr/local/bin/python3 Ultimately condensing to:
virtualenv venv -p `which python` virtualenv venv -p `which python3` virtualenv --python=/usr/bin/python2.6 <path/to/myvirtualenv> Under Windows for me this works:
virtualenv --python=c:\Python25\python.exe envname without the python.exe I got WindowsError: [Error 5] Access is denied I have Python2.7.1 installed with virtualenv 1.6.1, and I wanted python 2.5.2.
Mac OSX 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard):
1) When you do pip install virtualenv, the pip command is associated with one of your python versions, and virtualenv gets installed into that version of python. You can do
$ which pip to see what version of python that is. If you see something like:
$ which pip /usr/local/bin/pip then do:
$ ls -al /usr/local/bin/pip lrwxrwxr-x 1 root admin 65 Apr 10 2015 /usr/local/bin/pip -> ../../../Library/Frameworks/ You can see the python version in the output.
By default, that will be the version of python that is used for any new environment you create. However, you can specify any version of python installed on your computer to use inside a new environment with the -p flag:
$ virtualenv -p python3.2 my_env Running virtualenv with interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3.2 New python executable in my_env/bin/python Installing setuptools, pip...done.
virtualenv my_envwill create a folder in the current directory which will contain the Python executable files, and a copy of the pip [command] which you can use to install other packages.
virtualenv just copies python from a location on your computer into the newly created my_env/bin/ directory.
2) The system python is in /usr/bin, while the various python versions I installed were, by default, installed into:
/usr/local/bin 3) The various pythons I installed have names like python2.7 or python3.2, and I can use those names rather than full paths.
========VIRTUALENVWRAPPER=========
1) I had some problems getting virtualenvwrapper to work. This is what I ended up putting in ~/.bash_profile:
export WORKON_HOME=$HOME/.virtualenvs export PROJECT_HOME=$HOME/django_projects #Not very important -- mkproject command uses this #Added the following based on: # export VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_PYTHON=/usr/local/bin/python2.7 #source /usr/local/bin/virtualenvwrapper.sh source /Library/Frameworks/ 2) The -p option works differently with virtualenvwrapper: I have to specify the full path to the python interpreter to be used in the new environment(when I do not want to use the default python version):
$ mkvirtualenv -p /usr/local/bin/python3.2 my_env Running virtualenv with interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3 New python executable in my_env/bin/python Installing setuptools, pip...done. Usage: source deactivate removes the 'bin' directory of the environment activated with 'source activate' from PATH. Unlike virtualenv, virtualenvwrapper will create the environment at the location specified by the $WORKON_HOME environment variable. That keeps all your environments in one place.
9[November 2019] I needed to install a Python 3.7 environment (env) on my Python 3.8-based Arch Linux system. Python 3.7 was no longer on the system, so I could not downgrade Python, to install a package that I needed.
Furthermore, I wanted to use that package / Python 3.7 inside a virtual environment (venv). This is how I did it.
Download Python version source files:
I downloaded the Python 3.7.4 source files from
to
/mnt/Vancouver/apps/python_versions/src/Python-3.7.4.tgz
I then extracted that archive (source files) to
/mnt/Vancouver/apps/python_versions/src/Python-3.7.4/
Installation:
[Note: in my system env, not a venv.]
cd /mnt/Vancouver/apps/python_versions/src/Python-3.7.4/ time ./configure ## 17 sec time make ## 1 min 51 sec time sudo make install ## 18 sec time make clean ## 0.3 sec Examine installed Python versions:
$ which python /usr/bin/python $ python --version Python 3.8.0 $ which python3.7 /usr/local/bin/python3.7 $ python ## Python 3.8 [system / env] Python 3.8.0 (default, Oct 23 2019, 18:51:26) [GCC 9.2.0] on linux Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> $ python3.7 ## newly-installed Python 3.7 package Python 3.7.4 (default, Nov 20 2019, 11:36:53) [GCC 9.2.0] on linux Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import sys >>> print(sys.version) 3.7.4 (default, Nov 20 2019, 11:36:53) [GCC 9.2.0] >>> $ python3.7 --version Python 3.7.4 How to create a venv for a specific Python version:
12.2. CREATING VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS
The module used to create and manage virtual environments is called
venv.venvwill usually install the most recent version of Python that you have available. If you have multiple versions of Python on your system, you can select a specific Python version by running python3 or whichever version you want.To create a virtual environment, decide upon a directory where you want to place it, and run the venv module as a script with the directory path:
python3 -m venv tutorial-envThis will create the
tutorial-envdirectory if it doesn’t exist, and also create directories inside it containing a copy of the Python interpreter, the standard library, and various supporting files. ...
Create Python 3.7 venv [on a Python 3.8 operating env / system]:
python3.7 -m venv ~/venv/py3.7 ## create Python 3.7-based venv source ~/venv/py3.7/bin/activate ## activate that venv deactivate ## deactivate that venv (when done, there) Added to ~/.bashrc:
alias p37='echo " [Python 3.7 venv (source ~/venv/py3.7/bin/activate)]" && source ~/venv/py3.7/bin/activate' Test Python 3.7 venv:
$ p37 [Python 3.7 venv (source ~/venv/py3.7/bin/activate)] (py3.7)$ python --version Python 3.7.4 (py3.7)$ python Python 3.7.4 (default, Nov 20 2019, 11:36:53) [GCC 9.2.0] on linux Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import sys >>> print(sys.version) 3.7.4 (default, Nov 20 2019, 11:36:53) [GCC 9.2.0] >>> Suppose you currently have python 2.7 installed in your virtualenv. But want to make use of python3.2, You would have to update this with:
$ virtualenv --python=/usr/bin/python3.2 name_of_your_virtualenv Then activate your virtualenv by:
$ source activate name_of_your_virtualenv and then do: python --version in shell to check whether your version is now updated.
You should have that Python version installed. If you have it then basically,
With virtualenv,
virtualenv --python=python3.8 env/place/you/want/to/save/to with venv
python3.8 -m venv env/place/you/want/to/save/to The above examples are for python3.8, you can change it to have different versions of virtual environments given that they are installed in your computer.
4These two commands should work fine.
virtualenv -p python2 myenv (For python2)
virtualenv -p python3 myenv (For python3)
You can call virtualenv with python version you want. For example:
python3 -m virtualenv venv Or alternatively directly point to your virtualenv path. e.g. for windows:
c:\Python34\Scripts\virtualenv.exe venv And by running:
venv/bin/python Python 3.5.1 (v3.5.1:37a07cee5969, Dec 5 2015, 21:12:44) [GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5666) (dot 3)] on darwin Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> you can see the python version installed in virtual environment
2The -p approach works well, but you do have to remember to use it every time. If your goal is to switch to a newer version of Python generally, that's a pain and can also lead to mistakes.
Your other option is to set an environment variable that does the same thing as -p. Set this via your ~/.bashrc file or wherever you manage environment variables for your login sessions:
export VIRTUALENV_PYTHON=/path/to/desired/version Then virtualenv will use that any time you don't specify -p on the command line.
On the mac I use pyenv and virtualenvwrapper. I had to create a new virtualenv. You need homebrew which I'll assume you've installed if you're on a mac, but just for fun:
ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL )" brew install pyenv pyenv install 2.7.10 pyenv global 2.7.10 export PATH=/Users/{USERNAME}/.pyenv/versions/2.7.10/bin:$PATH mkvirtualenv -p ~/.pyenv/versions/2.7.10/bin/python {virtual_env_name} I also froze my requirements first so i could simply reinstall in the new virtualenv with:
pip install -r requirements.txt Even easier, by using command substitution to find python2 for you:
virtualenv -p $(which python2) <path/to/new/virtualenv/>
Or when using virtualenvwrapper :
mkvirtualenv -p $(which python2) <env_name>
For Mac(High Sierra), install the virtualenv on python3 and create a virtualenv for python2:
$ python3 -m pip install virtualenv $ python3 -m virtualenv --python=python2 vp27 $ source vp27/bin/activate (vp27)$ python --version Python 2.7.14 These seem a little overcomplicated for Windows. If you're on Windows running python 3.3 or later, you can use the python launcher py to do this much more easily. Simply install the different python version, then run:
py -[my version] -m venv env This will create a virtual environment called env in your current directory, using python [my version]. As an example:
py -3.7 -m venv env ./env/Scripts/activate This creates a virtual environment called env using python3.7 and activates it. No paths or other complex stuff required.
On windows:
py -3.4x32 -m venv venv34 or
py -2.6.2 -m venv venv26 This uses the py launcher which will find the right python executable for you (assuming you have it installed).
As already mentioned in multiple answers, using virtualenv is a clean solution. However a small pitfall that everyone should be aware of is that if an alias for python is set in bash_aliases like:
python=python3.6 this alias will also be used inside the virtual environment. So in this scenario running python -V inside the virtual env will always output 3.6 regardless of what interpreter is used to create the environment:
virtualenv venv --python=pythonX.X In windows subsystem for linux:
Create environment for python3:
virtualenv --python=/usr/bin/python3 envActivate it:
source env/bin/activate
I use pyenv to manage my python version.
pyenv install 3.7.3 pyenv local 3.7.3 Check your python version:
$ python --version Python 3.7.3 Create the virtual environment with venv:
python -m venv . Then activate the Virtual Environment:
source bin/activate Check your python version:
$ python --version Python 3.7.3 You may need to remove the previous virtual environment
rm -rf bin End of 2020:
The most seamless experience for using virtualenv (added benefit: with any possible python version) would be to use pyenv and its (bundled) pyenv-virtualenv plugin (cf )
Usage: pyenv virtualenv <python_version> <environment_name>
Installation:
That being said, nowadays the best possible alternative instead of using virtualenv (and pip) would be Poetry (along with pyenv indicated above, to handle different python versions).
Another option, because it's supported directly by the PyPA (the org behind pip and the PyPI) and has restarted releasing since the end of May (didn't release since late 2018 prior to that...) would be Pipenv
This worked for my usage in Windows 10, where I have Python 3.7 and want to downgrade for a project in Python 3.6.6:
I used "venv" to create a new environment called "venv", I downloaded from ; install "Download Windows x86-64 executable installer-" ; then I used the following command line in the directory where I want to create my environment
>C:\Users\...\Python\Python36\python.exe -m venv venv
Finally, I activated the environnent using the command line:
>venv\Scripts\activate.bat
And check the python version by calling:
>python --version Python 3.6.6
I utilized this answer for Windows
py -3.4 -m venv c:\path\to\wherever\you\want\it On Linux Ubuntu 21.04 (currently Python 3.9.5) I needed to get a virtualenv of Python 3.7.8. Full steps to get working:
Find the Python version source you want, for example 3.7.8 is here:
Download the Gzipped source tarball
Unzip it with tar zxvf Python-3.7.8.tgz (amend as required with your version number if different from 3.7.8)
Copy the unzipped folder to /usr/bin with: sudo cp -r Python-3.7.8 /usr/bin
cd /usr/bin/Python-3.7.8/ Check the contents if you wanted to see what you have so far: ls
sudo time ./configure sudo time make time sudo make install time make clean Check how your python is set up and reporting:
which python python --version Should be all relating to your primary install (Python 3.9.5 for me)
To check your new install:
which python 3.7 python3.7 --version Should be all relating to your 3.7.8 install
If you want to run it to check, do:
python3.7 exit() Install venv:
sudo apt install venv To create a venv (maybe in your repo, if so, add .venv to .gitignore):
python3.7 -m venv .venv To activate your venv:
source .venv/bin/activate Check your version:
python --version Yes, the above answers are correct and works fine on Unix based systems like Linux & MAC OS X.
I tried to create virtualenv for Python2 & Python3 with the following commands.
Here I have used venv2 & venv3 as their names for Python2 & Python3 respectively.
Python2 »
MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ virtualenv venv2 --python=`which python2` Running virtualenv with interpreter /usr/local/bin/python2 New python executable in /Users/admin/venv2/bin/python Installing setuptools, pip, wheel...done. MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ ls venv2/bin/ activate easy_install pip2.7 python2.7 activate.csh easy_install-2.7 python wheel activate.fish pip python-config activate_this.py pip2 python2 MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ Python3 »
MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ virtualenv venv3 --python=`which python3` Running virtualenv with interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3 Using base prefix '/Library/Frameworks/ New python executable in /Users/admin/venv3/bin/python3 Also creating executable in /Users/admin/venv3/bin/python Installing setuptools, pip, wheel...done. MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ ls venv3/bin/ activate easy_install pip3.6 python3.6 activate.csh easy_install-3.6 python wheel activate.fish pip python-config activate_this.py pip3 python3 MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ Checking Python installation locations
MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ which python2 /usr/local/bin/python2 MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ which python3 /usr/local/bin/python3 MacBook-Pro-2:~ admin$ It worked for me
sudo apt-get install python3-minimal virtualenv --no-site-packages --distribute -p /usr/bin/python3 ~/.virtualenvs/py3 virtualenv -p python3 myenv This was a bug with virtualenv. Just upgrading your pip should be the fix.
pip install --upgrade virtualenv
I use Windows so I should use .exe on the pthon path
virtualenv -p=C:\Python27\python2.exe <envname> 
