Using Different versions of python with pipx | pyenv
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I love using pipx for automatic virtual environment management of my globally installed python cli applications, but sometimes the application is not...

Date: May 28, 2022

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I love using pipx for automatic virtual environment </virtual-environment/> management of my globally installed python cli applications, but sometimes the application is not compatible with your globally installed pipx

Which version of python is pipx using??
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This one took me a minute to figure out at first, please let me know if there is a better way. I am pretty certain that this is not the ideal way, but it works.

My first technique was to make a package that printed out sys.version.

[code]
  # what version of python does the global pipx use?
  pipx run --spec git+https://github.com/waylonwalker/pyvers pyvers

  # what version of python does the local pipx use?
  python -m pipx run --spec git+https://github.com/waylonwalker/pyvers pyvers

Let’s setup some other versions of python with pyenv
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│ If you don’t already have pyenv <https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv> installed, you can follow their install instructions <https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#installation> to get it.

[code]
  pyenv install 3.8.13
  pyenv install 3.10.5

I usually require a virtual environment
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I set the PIP_REQUIRE_VIRTUALENV environment variable to true to ensure that the virtual environment is activated when pip installing, this makes it so that I can’t accidentally use the global env, which is typically not what I want to do.

[code]
  export PIP_REQUIRE_VIRTUALENV=true
  # for windows users
  set PIP_REQUIRE_VIRTUALENV=true

│ This goes right into my shell startup script ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc.

Exceptions happen
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This is my one exception. I’ve had better luck putting pipx right in the global python environment. Not the system python, but each python version that I install with pyenv.

[code]
  export PIP_REQUIRE_VIRTUALENV=false
  # for windows users
  set PIP_REQUIRE_VIRTUALENV=false

Let’s install pipx
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First up is python 3.10.5

[code]
  pyenv global 3.10.5
  pip install pipx
  pipx run --spec git+https://github.com/waylonwalker/pyvers pyvers

  3.10.5 (main, Jun  6 2022, 18:49:26) [GCC 12.1.0]

Next is python 3.8.13j

[code]
  pyenv global 3.8.13
  pip install pipx
  pipx run --spec git+https://github.com/waylonwalker/pyvers pyvers

  3.8.13 (default, Aug  8 2022, 21:06:56)
  [GCC 12.1.0]

Now once I close this shell I will always end up with PIP_REQUIRE_VIRTUALENV=true, since it’s in my shell startup script. So make sure that you reset it or kill this shell before doing any damage.