pypa/virtualenv
Virtualenv
virtualenv is a tool for creating and managing isolated Python environments. It functions as an environment manager that provides a resolver to discover suitable Python binaries and a system for establishing standalone directories with their own binaries and packages to prevent dependency conflicts.
The project distinguishes itself through a specialized interpreter resolver that handles version manager shims and architecture requirements. It utilizes read-only image caching and application data caching to accelerate the creation of new environments, and includes a seed tool to control the installation of base packages required for initial functional utility.
The tool covers a broad range of environment management capabilities, including binary isolation via symlinks, path-based dependency resolution, and the generation of shell-script activation tools to configure terminal sessions. It also provides utilities for version control integration to exclude environment directories from being tracked in repositories.
Features
- Python Package Managers - Creates isolated Python environments to prevent version conflicts between different project dependencies.
- Environment Activation Scripts - Generates platform-specific shell scripts to redirect terminal sessions to the isolated binary path.
- Isolated Environment Managers - Provides a comprehensive system for creating and managing isolated execution spaces to prevent dependency conflicts.
- Python - Installs base tools and libraries into standalone directories without affecting the global system installation.
- Python Development Tools - Sets up isolated workspaces with specific interpreter versions to ensure consistent execution across machines.
- Python Environment Managers - Locates and configures specific Python binaries to tailor the runtime environment to a project's needs.
- Runtime Search Path Manipulation - Implements path-based dependency resolution to ensure local environment packages take precedence over system-wide installations.
- Interpreter Resolvers - Implements a specialized resolver to discover Python binaries by handling shims and architecture requirements.
- Interpreter Discovery - Provides a mechanism to locate valid Python binaries by resolving version manager shims and architecture requirements.
- Base Tool Seeding - Includes a seed tool to ensure new environments are immediately functional with baseline management packages.
- Baseline Package Seeding - Ensures new environments have necessary base tools through a controlled installation of seed packages.
- Seed Package Management - Provides a system for controlling the installation and versioning of base packages required for new environments.
- Package Activation Symlinks - Uses symlinks to create standalone directories containing the Python interpreter for namespace isolation.
- Interpreter Image Caches - Implements read-only image caching of interpreter data to significantly reduce the latency of creating new isolated environments.
- Interpreter Image Caching - Utilizes read-only image caching to significantly accelerate the setup of new isolated Python environments.
- Environment and Package Management - Creates isolated Python environments for projects.
- Virtual Environments - Creates isolated Python environments for project dependencies.
Star history
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