Understanding virtualenv in relation to python

Question

I'm having a difficult time wrapping my head around how to utilize virtualenv and python3 together. As I understand it, virtualenv acts as an operating system within my mac's operating system. I installed virtualenv through the terminal and can activate/deactivate it successfully, but how do I use python3 with it?

I understand the python shell, I understand the terminal, but after I created the my_projects directory for virtualenv, how can I ensure I'm creating something in a virtualenv with python?

I'm not using homebrew or anaconda.

"As I understand it, virtualenv acts as an operating system within my mac's operating system" No. It acts as an environment isolated from your working environment. A virtual environment, you might say... — juanpa.arrivillaga
– juanpa.arrivillaga, Commented Feb 9, 2017 at 18:51

ᗩИᎠЯƎᗩ · Accepted Answer · 2017-08-18 11:06:15Z

1

A Virtual Environment is a tool to keep the dependencies required by different projects in separate places, by creating virtual Python environments for them.

It solves the “Project X depends on version 1.x but, Project Y needs 4.x” dilemma, and keeps your global site-packages directory clean and manageable.

For example, you can work on a project which requires Django 1.10 while also maintaining a project which requires Django 1.8.

For more understanding refer to this Python Guide.

edited Aug 18, 2017 at 11:06

ᗩИᎠЯƎᗩ

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answered Aug 18, 2017 at 10:34

Anurag Misra

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Comments

Haifeng Zhang · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-09 18:49:05Z

0

the virtual environment will isolate from the OS python. You can create a virtual env per project. For example project projectA, you can create an venv inside projectA as:

cd projectA
virtualenv -p /usr/bin/python3.5 venv-name-A

When you install any packages for projectA, you do: /path/to/venv-name-A/bin/pip install <pkg-name>

When you run your projectA, you do: /path/to/venv-name-A/bin/python projectA-file.py

You can create as many venvs as you want. You can install any packages on any envs without breaking your OS python accidentally.

answered Feb 9, 2017 at 18:49

Haifeng Zhang

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5 Comments

basiclanguage Over a year ago

Thank you, Haifeng. I'm struggling now because the path that my project was installed looks a bit different than yours. My looks like: /Users/Main/Desktop/Python_practice/Lamba/myproject. From the myproject directory I entered virtualenv venv. Did I install the virtual environment in the wrong location initially?

Haifeng Zhang Over a year ago

@basiclanguage no matter where you store the venv, it is isolated from your OS python, and you know the installed packages are for the specific project:)

basiclanguage Over a year ago

Okay cool, what would be the difference between these two: python3 -m pip install virtualenv & virtualenv -p /usr/bin/python3.5 venv-name-A ?

Haifeng Zhang Over a year ago

i think it should be pip install virtualenv, in which installs virtulenv package. the latter command is creating venv based on python3.5

basiclanguage Over a year ago

This really clears it up for me, Haifeng. Thanks again.

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