venvx

Create and use virtual environments with ease

Installation

Install the venvx package with pip

python -m pip install --user venvx

or your favorite Python package manager. To install the venv shell extension, enter

venvx shellext > ~/.venvx.sh

Review the content of the file and source it into your bash or zsh profile.

Usage

Assuming the current directory contains two virtual enviroments called .venv3.10 and .venv3.11:

% ls -a
./         ../        .venv3.10/ .venv3.11/

The command venv use activates, and switches between, virtual environments.

% venv use .venv3.10
(.venv3.10) % which pip
/path/to/.venv3.10/bin/pip

If the venv name begins with .venv, it suffices to specify the remainder of the name. For instance, in order to switch to another virtual enviroment:

(.venv3.10) % venv use 3.11
(.venv3.11) % which pip
/path/to/.venv3.11/bin/pip

To quickly run a command in a virtual environment, use the run command.

(.venv3.11) % venv run 3.10 which python
/path/to/.venv3.10/bin/python
(.venv3.11) %

Since venv always activates the virtual environment internally, venv commands may be run within another virtual environment as shown above, or outside:

(.venv3.11) % venv off
% venv run 3.10 pytest -v tests
%

New virtual environments can be created with venv create. If the name of the virtual environment is omitted, ".venv" will be used:

% venv create

or use a different name e.g.

% venv create pyenv

The Python version to use within the new virtual environment may be specified with the -v (a.k.a. --versions) option.

% mkdir newdir && cd newdir
% venv create -v 3.8 3.9
% venv create pyenv -v 3.8 3.9
% ls -a
./        ../       .venv3.8/ .venv3.9/ pyenv3.8/ pyenv3.9/

The new virtual environments have already been upgraded to the most recent version of the pip package. The command

% venv upgrade-pip existing_env

upgrades the pip module of an existing virtual environment. Obviously, this works in an activated virtual enviroment as well.

% venv use 3.9
(.venv3.9) % venv upgrade-pip

In Git Bash on Windows, the Scripts/activate script defines a VIRTUAL_ENV path that contains both "/" and "\" path separators. venv fix [path] corrects that.

When a virtual environment is copied to a different location, the activate script's VIRTUAL_ENV setting, as well as the shebangs in the various scripts within the venv's bin/ folder, all still refer to the original virtual environment. venv fix [path] performs the necessary updates. Example (Darwin or Linux):

% mv .venv3.9 .venv39
% venv fix 39
Checking if any scripts require patches - yes (6)
Fixing the shebang in pip3 - done
Fixing the shebang in pip - done
Fixing the shebang in pip3.9 - done
Fixing the VIRTUAL_ENV setting in activate.fish - done
Fixing the VIRTUAL_ENV setting in activate - done
Fixing the VIRTUAL_ENV setting in activate.csh - done

Enter venv help and venvx -h for more information on usage.