Setting Up a Python Virtual Environment and Dependencies

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps for setting up a Python virtual environment (venv) and managing your project dependencies using pip.

This tutorial is perfect for new programmers who want to keep their Python projects organized and free from system-wide package conflicts.

If you’re following our Flask tutorials or working on any Python-based projects, setting up a virtual environment is a crucial first step. It ensures that your project’s dependencies are managed separately from your global Python environment, which is essential for avoiding conflicts and ensuring a smooth development process.

Why Use a Virtual Environment?

A virtual environment is an isolated environment where you can install packages without affecting the global Python installation on your system. This ensures that each project has its own dependencies, avoiding version conflicts and making it easier to manage project-specific requirements.

Steps to Set Up and Use a Python Virtual Environment

1. Install Python and Required Tools
Before creating a virtual environment, make sure Python and python3-venv are installed on your system. If you haven’t installed them yet, you can do so with the following commands:

# Update package list
sudo apt update
# Install Python and venv tool
sudo apt install python3 python3-venv python3-pip

2. Create a New Project Directory
Start by creating a directory for your project. Navigate to this directory in your terminal:

mkdir my_project
cd my_project

3. Create a Virtual Environment
Within your project directory, create a virtual environment named venv (you can choose any name you prefer):

python3 -m venv venv

This command will create a new directory named venv that contains the Python interpreter and standard library.

4. Activate the Virtual Environment
To start using the virtual environment, you need to activate it. Run the appropriate command based on your operating system:

source venv/bin/activate

After activation, your terminal prompt should change to indicate that you’re working inside the virtual environment (e.g., (venv)).

5. Install Packages with pip
With the virtual environment activated, you can install Python packages using pip. For example, to install popular packages like matplotlib and pandas, run:

pip install matplotlib pandas

You can install any other packages your project requires in the same way. These packages will be installed only in the virtual environment and won’t affect your system-wide Python installation.

6. Verify Installed Packages
To check which packages are installed in your virtual environment, use:

pip list

This will display a list of installed packages along with their versions.

7. Deactivate the Virtual Environment
When you’re done working in your virtual environment, you can deactivate it with:

deactivate

This command will return you to the global Python environment.

Conclusion

Setting up and using a Python virtual environment is a straightforward process that helps keep your projects organized and dependencies isolated. By following these steps, you can easily manage your project’s packages and avoid conflicts with other projects.

For more detailed tutorials and examples on using Flask and other Python frameworks, stay tuned to our blog!