Activate a virtualenv with a Python script

user_105905 0
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I want to activate a virtualenv instance from a Python script.

I know it's quite easy to do, but all the examples I've seen use it to run commands within the env and then close the subprocess.

I simply want to activate the virtualenv and return to the shell, the same way that bin/activate does.

Something like this:

$me: my-script.py -d env-name
$(env-name)me:

Is this possible?

Relevant:

virtualenv › Invoking an env from a script

virtualenv python
10 Answers

The top answer only works for Python 2.x

For Python 3.x, use this:

activate_this_file = "/path/to/virtualenv/bin/activate_this.py"

exec(compile(open(activate_this_file, "rb").read(), activate_this_file, 'exec'), dict(__file__=activate_this_file))

Reference: What is an alternative to execfile in Python 3?

user_69308950

For python2/3, Using below code snippet we can activate virtual env.

activate_this = "/home/<--path-->/<--virtual env name -->/bin/activate_this.py" #for ubuntu
activate_this = "D:\<-- path -->\<--virtual env name -->\Scripts\\activate_this.py" #for windows
with open(activate_this) as f:
    code = compile(f.read(), activate_this, 'exec')
    exec(code, dict(__file__=activate_this))
user_134804520

I had the same issue and there was no activate_this.py in the Scripts directory of my environment.

activate_this.py

"""By using execfile(this_file, dict(__file__=this_file)) you will
activate this virtualenv environment.
This can be used when you must use an existing Python interpreter, not
the virtualenv bin/python
"""

try:
    __file__
except NameError:
    raise AssertionError(
        "You must run this like execfile('path/to/active_this.py', dict(__file__='path/to/activate_this.py'))")
import sys
import os

base = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
if(sys.platform=='win32'):
     site_packages = os.path.join(base, 'Lib', 'site-packages')
else:
     site_packages = os.path.join(base, 'lib', 'python%s' % sys.version[:3], 'site-packages')
prev_sys_path = list(sys.path)
import site
site.addsitedir(site_packages)
sys.real_prefix = sys.prefix
sys.prefix = base
# Move the added items to the front of the path:
new_sys_path = []
for item in list(sys.path):
    if item not in prev_sys_path:
        new_sys_path.append(item)
        sys.path.remove(item)
sys.path[:0] = new_sys_path

Copy the file to the Scripts directory of your environment and use it like this:

def activate_virtual_environment(environment_root):
    """Configures the virtual environment starting at ``environment_root``."""
    activate_script = os.path.join(
        environment_root, 'Scripts', 'activate_this.py')
    execfile(activate_script, {'__file__': activate_script})

activate_virtual_environment('path/to/your/venv')

Refrence: https://github.com/dcreager/virtualenv/blob/master/virtualenv_support/activate_this.py

user_120576350

You should create all your virtualenvs in one folder, such as virt.

Assuming your virtualenv folder name is virt, if not change it

cd
mkdir custom

Copy the below lines...

#!/usr/bin/env bash
ENV_PATH="$HOME/virt/$1/bin/activate"
bash --rcfile $ENV_PATH -i

Create a shell script file and paste the above lines...

touch custom/vhelper
nano custom/vhelper

Grant executable permission to your file:

sudo chmod +x custom/vhelper

Now export that custom folder path so that you can find it on the command-line by clicking tab...

export PATH=$PATH:"$HOME/custom"

Now you can use it from anywhere by just typing the below command...

vhelper YOUR_VIRTUAL_ENV_FOLDER_NAME

Suppose it is abc then...

vhelper abc
user_82749380
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