python-virtual-environments.md

Python environment management tools

Here is a list of different tools and how they relate to venvlink.

Usage: Click the image below to see the svg file (zoomable, with links).

Anaconda / Miniconda

• The Anaconda is a python distribution that is focused on scientific computing / Data Science, and comes with preinstalled packages.
• It replaces pip, and venv with conda commands.
• Comes with new concept called conda environments.

pew (Python Environment Wrapper)

• Virtual environment management tool, written in python
• See also: venvlink and pew
• Was originally a rewrite of virtualenvwrapper and has basically same functionality with cleaner API and multiplatform, multi-shell support.
• Leverages inve ("inside this virtual environment, (run this command)…")
• Keeps all virtual environments in single location, which by default is either defined by environment variable XDG_DATA_HOME or WORKON_HOME.
• Works also on Windows (cmd.exe and Powershell)
• Integrates with pythonz (Unix only)

pipenv

• Python project management tool (replacement for pip and venv)
• See also: venvlink and pipenv

poetry

• Python project management tool (replacement for pip, venv, twine, setup.py, ...)

py

• The Python Launcher for Windows has been part of CPython since version 3.3
• The python launcher can be used as a simple python version management tool in Windows.

pyenv

• Python version management tool for Unix
• Does not manage virtual environments. One can use pyenv-virtualenv (Unix) to do that.

pyenv-win

• Python version management tool for Windows.
• Windows fork of pyenv.
• See also: venvlink and pyenv-win

pyenv-virtualenv

• Virtual environment management. Supports also conda environments.
• Plugin for pyenv (Unix only)
• Automatic activation: Uses .python-version files

pyflow

• Python project management tool (replacement for pip, venv, twine, setup.py, ...)
• Source: https://github.com/David-OConnor/pyflow
• Uses project-level pyproject.toml.

pythonz

• Python version management / python installer for Unix
• Originally a fork of pythonbrew

pyvenv

This was a short-lived tool (introduced in Python 3.3, deprecated in 3.6) for creating virtual environments and was superceded by python -m venv.

venv

The venv is a module which is included in the CPython standard library since Python 3.3. It is commonly used with command

python -m venv venv

and this is the command venvlink uses internally to create virtual environments.

virtualenvwrapper

• Source: https://bitbucket.org/virtualenvwrapper/virtualenvwrapper/
• Docs: virtualenvwrapper.readthedocs.io
• Places virtual environments in $WORKON_HOME
• Supported shells: bash, ksh, zsh. (Unix only)

virtualenvwrapper-powershell

• Virtual environment management tool for Windows
• Works only with Powershell (not with cmd.exe)
• Creates virtual environments into: WORKON_HOME, or if not defined, to %USERPROFILE%\Envs.

virtualenvwrapper-win

• Virtual environment management tool for Windows
• Works only with cmd.exe (not with Powershell)
• Creates virtual environments into: WORKON_HOME, or if not defined, to %USERPROFILE%\Envs.