Python: virtualenv Tutorial

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

virtualenv is a tool to create isolated Python environments, so you can install different version of python and different versions of library.

◆ virtualenv
You must provide a DEST_DIR
Usage: virtualenv [OPTIONS] DEST_DIR

Options:
  --version             show program's version number and exit
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -v, --verbose         Increase verbosity.
  -q, --quiet           Decrease verbosity.
  -p PYTHON_EXE, --python=PYTHON_EXE
                        The Python interpreter to use, e.g., --python=python2.5 will use the
                        python2.5 interpreter to create the new environment.  The default is the
                        interpreter that virtualenv was installed with (/usr/bin/python)
  --clear               Clear out the non-root install and start from scratch.
  --no-site-packages    DEPRECATED. Retained only for backward compatibility. Not having access to
                        global site-packages is now the default behavior.
  --system-site-packages
                        Give the virtual environment access to the global site-packages.
  --always-copy         Always copy files rather than symlinking.
  --unzip-setuptools    Unzip Setuptools when installing it.
  --relocatable         Make an EXISTING virtualenv environment relocatable. This fixes up scripts
                        and makes all .pth files relative.
  --no-setuptools       Do not install setuptools (or pip) in the new virtualenv.
  --no-pip              Do not install pip in the new virtualenv.
  --extra-search-dir=DIR
                        Directory to look for setuptools/pip distributions in. This option can be
                        used multiple times.
  --never-download      DEPRECATED. Retained only for backward compatibility. This option has no
                        effect. Virtualenv never downloads pip or setuptools.
  --prompt=PROMPT       Provides an alternative prompt prefix for this environment.
  --setuptools          DEPRECATED. Retained only for backward compatibility. This option has no
                        effect.
  --distribute          DEPRECATED. Retained only for backward compatibility. This option has no
                        effect.

see also Python: What's PyPi, pip, easy_install, setuptools?