How do I update a Python virtual environment with `venv` (in Python 3.3+) to use a newer version of Python?
Question:
I have recently installed Python 3.8.0 alongside Python 3.7.4.
I have some virtual environments (created using python -m venv <directory>
that are based on v3.7.4. How do I update them to use v3.8.0?
Do I need to create a new virtual environment and reinstall the dependencies, scripts, etc.?
Note: There are some existing Q&A’s (such as this) that deal with the older virtualenv
package/tool. I’m specifically asking about the new built-in venv
module, which is a standard built-in to Python since v3.3 and has some differences from virtualenv
.
Answers:
I guess what you’re looking for is the --upgrade
parameter.
python -m venv --help
usage: venv [-h] [--system-site-packages] [--symlinks | --copies] [--clear]
[--upgrade] [--without-pip] [--prompt PROMPT]
ENV_DIR [ENV_DIR ...]
Creates virtual Python environments in one or more target directories.
positional arguments:
ENV_DIR A directory to create the environment in.
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
--system-site-packages
Give the virtual environment access to the system
site-packages dir.
--symlinks Try to use symlinks rather than copies, when symlinks
are not the default for the platform.
--copies Try to use copies rather than symlinks, even when
symlinks are the default for the platform.
--clear Delete the contents of the environment directory if it
already exists, before environment creation.
--upgrade Upgrade the environment directory to use this version
of Python, assuming Python has been upgraded in-place.
--without-pip Skips installing or upgrading pip in the virtual
environment (pip is bootstrapped by default)
--prompt PROMPT Provides an alternative prompt prefix for this
environment.
You need to run it with the targeted python version, for example in this case:
python3.8 -m venv --upgrade <path_to_dir>
Assuming that python3.8 is the name of your python 3.8.0 executable.
I have recently installed Python 3.8.0 alongside Python 3.7.4.
I have some virtual environments (created using python -m venv <directory>
that are based on v3.7.4. How do I update them to use v3.8.0?
Do I need to create a new virtual environment and reinstall the dependencies, scripts, etc.?
Note: There are some existing Q&A’s (such as this) that deal with the older virtualenv
package/tool. I’m specifically asking about the new built-in venv
module, which is a standard built-in to Python since v3.3 and has some differences from virtualenv
.
I guess what you’re looking for is the --upgrade
parameter.
python -m venv --help
usage: venv [-h] [--system-site-packages] [--symlinks | --copies] [--clear]
[--upgrade] [--without-pip] [--prompt PROMPT]
ENV_DIR [ENV_DIR ...]
Creates virtual Python environments in one or more target directories.
positional arguments:
ENV_DIR A directory to create the environment in.
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
--system-site-packages
Give the virtual environment access to the system
site-packages dir.
--symlinks Try to use symlinks rather than copies, when symlinks
are not the default for the platform.
--copies Try to use copies rather than symlinks, even when
symlinks are the default for the platform.
--clear Delete the contents of the environment directory if it
already exists, before environment creation.
--upgrade Upgrade the environment directory to use this version
of Python, assuming Python has been upgraded in-place.
--without-pip Skips installing or upgrading pip in the virtual
environment (pip is bootstrapped by default)
--prompt PROMPT Provides an alternative prompt prefix for this
environment.
You need to run it with the targeted python version, for example in this case:
python3.8 -m venv --upgrade <path_to_dir>
Assuming that python3.8 is the name of your python 3.8.0 executable.