pynstal 0.1.4

CLI utility to manage Python virtual environments with auto-detection

pynstal

A CLI utility to manage Python virtual environments with auto-detection of system Python installations.

Features

• Auto-detect Python installations across Windows, macOS, and Linux (pyenv, conda, system Python)
• Manage interpreters - add, list, and configure Python interpreter paths
• Create virtual environments using any configured Python interpreter
• Install templates - predefined and custom package templates with special pip arguments (e.g., CUDA-specific PyTorch)
• Persistent configuration - interpreter paths and templates stored in .pynstal/interpreters.json and .pynstal/templates.json

Installation

From PyPI

pip install pynstal

After installation, use the pynstal command:

pynstal --help

From source

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/PythonProjectManager.git
cd PythonProjectManager
pip install -e .

Quick Start

1. Detect and add Python installations

# List found Python installations
pynstal interpreter detect

# Interactively select which to add
pynstal interpreter detect --add

# Add all detected interpreters
pynstal interpreter detect --add-all

2. Create a virtual environment

pynstal create-venv "C:\Users\...\python.exe" my_venv

3. Install packages using templates

# List available templates
pynstal template list

# Create venv with datascience template (numpy, scipy, pandas, etc.)
pynstal create-from-template datascience my_ds_venv

# Create venv with PyTorch (CUDA 12.4)
pynstal create-from-template pytorch-cu124 my_pytorch_venv

4. Create custom templates

# Simple template
pynstal template add mytemplate "numpy scipy matplotlib"

# Add packages with custom pip args to an existing template
pynstal template add-pkg-complex mytemplate torch torchvision --args-str "--index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu124"

# Create venv from custom template
pynstal create-from-template mytemplate my_venv

Commands

• Interpreter management

  • pynstal interpreter list - List configured interpreters
  • pynstal interpreter detect [--add | --add-all] - Auto-detect system Python installations
  • pynstal interpreter add - Interactive prompt to add interpreter paths
  • pynstal interpreter remove - Interactive prompt to remove interpreter paths
  • pynstal add-interpreter <path> - Manually add a Python interpreter path (positional)
  • pynstal set-default-interpreter - Interactive prompt to choose the global default interpreter

• pynstal create-venv <interpreter> <venv_dir> [--dry-run] - Create a virtual environment

• pynstal create-from-template <template> <venv_dir> [--interpreter <path>] [--dry-run] - Create venv and install template packages

• pynstal remove-venv <venv_dir> - Delete a virtual environment and clean up references

• pynstal template list - List all templates

• pynstal template show <name> - Show template details

• pynstal template add <name> "<packages>" - Add a simple template

• pynstal template add-pkg <name> <packages...> - Add packages to an existing template

• pynstal template add-pkg-complex <name> <packages...> --args-str "<args>" - Add packages with pip args to a template

• pynstal template remove-pkg <name> - Interactively remove packages from a template

• pynstal template remove <name> - Remove a template

• pynstal install <template> [--interpreter <path>] [--dry-run] - Install packages from a template into an interpreter without creating a venv

Data Storage

• Interpreters: .pynstal/interpreters.json - stores configured Python interpreter paths
• Templates: .pynstal/templates.json - stores user-defined package installation templates

Configuration

interpreters.json

{
    "FILE_PATH": "interpreters.json",
    "interpreters": [
        "C:\\Users\\...\\python.exe",
        "/usr/bin/python3.12"
    ],
    "global_interpreter": null
}

templates.json

{
    "templates": {
        "simple": ["numpy", "scipy"],
        "pytorch-cu124": {
            "packages": ["torch", "torchvision"],
            "args": ["--index-url", "https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu124"]
        }
    }
}

Platform Support

• Windows: Detects pyenv-win, AppData Python installations, system Python
• macOS/Linux: Detects /usr/bin/python*, pyenv, conda, system Python

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.