PyCharm Virtual Environments (venv) Explained! | 10 Min. | Updated 2023 

Something worth to mention is also that the pip in the virtual environment is a different one than the pip in the global environment. That's why you can also see a pip.exe in the venv directory in 4:28. You don't always see the prompt (venv), indeed, that's quite common with customized shells with restrictions in corporate environment, but you still can find out which pip is relevant with `which pip` and then see the full path to it (either to global pip or to venv pip). In addition, very often in Windows/corporate environment, you'll have to work with conda and pip together and then in a conda environment (what is then the necessary replacement for the virtualenv), you even have to first `conda activate ` and then run a `conda install pip` first, to have a pip in this environment (and otherwise, the global pip is silently taken without any notice about). And that's hard to debug if you are not aware that there might be different pip's (different locations, in different versions and with different behaviour, especially different install destinations, ...). And while conda+pip together might not be so often, you'll often enough be in a situation where the PATH variable is not correctly set and then again silently the global pip instead of the local venv pip will be taken. Happens remote, in a CI/CD or outside of PyCharm, e.g. in CygWin or WSL2 often enough ... I know it, because I often have to trouble shoot juniors 🙂in such situations.

Let me explain why you did a GREAT job? Someone who has clicked on your tutorial most likely is not a graduate coder as such, slow, methodical, hold your hand approach is how we can learn and you nailed it. Great Great video and of course I subscribed. Keep up the excellent work.

Guess what? Until this video, I get lost each time I launch pycharm.Great job, we need teachers like u, so passionate! You made my 2023 a great one at last.

THAAAAAAAAAAAANKKKK YOUUUU! Short and clear, like it should be. Today I was messing around with it for about 4 hours and after 10 minutes of your video I finally get it. :)

Thank you so much! Most videos just showed the steps but you articulate everything under the hood. Amazing job!

I was lost with PyCharm, this video helped me! Thanks Max!

Very good, simple and clear, direct to the point ! Thanks

Amazing video, simple yet complete. Keep up the good work!

I was struggling with these, after watching this, everything is making sense, thanks!!

Man you have a natural gift for this! Thanks a lot!

Still facing issues? Perhaps my venv write-up covers the problem: maxontech.io/courses/pycharm/using-virtual-environments-venv-in-pycharm

Thank you for such a helpful video about virtual environments! It helps me reload my Python programming journey!

A very succinct tutorial! Thanks. Solved my venv problem.

Finally, it all made clear!! Thank you so much ❤

Outstanding explanation of venv. Best I've seen after having explored several other explanations..

Thanks! This was exactly what I needed.

Great tutorial. I had that PS script issue and this video helped me solve it.

That was sooooo helpful. Thank you so much!

This has been extremely helpful to me. Thank you

Thank youuu, I kept trying to figure this out and couldn't until i found your video

Very clear explanation. Much appreciated!

this is awesome, thank you so much!

Thank you so much! Finally I've found your video and my first venv project just got activated. (have been trying for hours :$)

Thank you so much for your help 😇 and you save me from anxiety !

Thanks man! Your solution was clear and precise. Worked perfectly for me. 👍

Very good tutorial. Thank you, Max.

Thank you so much for sharing!!!

really helped me understand each and everything perfectly. thanks

thanks! concise and clear tutorial.

thank you so much... very simple and clear

Thank you so much! Very helpful

Thanks. Every basic video helps. Compared to all the programming I've done in the past, I am finding python exasperatingly confusing in many regards, despite all the books I am reading.

thank you, other videos were showing on how to do it on cmd and i was confused. i didnt know there was a terminal in pycharm. video is really helpful.

thank you so much for this video!

This was very easy to follow, thanks

Thanks, just started using pycharm and am trying to follow a course I downloaded on selenium and test automation. The instructor is saying to run activate.bat instead of activate.ps1. This seems to have activated the environment. keep up the good work

That was presented as a master class, thank you for your clear no frills direct tutorial, absolutely superb, will look at any other vid's you may have. Keep up the good work.

this fixed my issue, thank you so much

Thank you very, very much for your crystal clear explanation 😊

very clear tutorial, great job

Your way of explaining things is very good and understandable, clearly explained everything in detail for me I am a beginner and it helped me a lot. thanks

this tutorials help's me a lot thank you Max

Great video!!

Thanks a lot!

Thank you very much that you included that Windows Error and solution. It drove me crazy. Now it works. Thank you, man. Subscribed. :)

GREAT!!

Thnaks a lot. Hepled me!!!!!! you gained one subscriber

thank u very much!!!!!!😊😊👌👌👍👍 PERFECT!

Thank you. a great help to beginners in python like me.

Thank you for this simple yet effective video. Your explaining is great keep it up🙂

Many thanks. you help me with your video.

Great!

Great video :)

Great 👏🏻

thanks!

Helpful.. thanks

thankyou bro!👍🏼

Thank You sir!

Thanks Max It is great video , very informative for us

Great

Thank you✌

thank you! very helpful in next video if you can touch upon using/connecting anaconda and gitlab with pycharm will be great.

Thanks you alot ❤❤❤❤ love you from nepal. Its really helped me alot.

thanks thanks for excellent tutorial.

..great explanation..

thank you brother

Thank you so much for your explanations regarding venv and in another video the interpreter but the question is why using venv, only to have our package in the project. I’m also installing packages in my projects without venv via pip3 install but then they are not available on pycharm. That’s because I don’t have venv? Thanks again very good content

06:34 saved my ass. Thanks for this wonderful tutorial bro!

Thank you so much for this series of Pycharm, please keep adding more videos because they are really useful🙏🙏

Hi, I tried to install a new python interpreter "python 3.11" but it seems like the pycharm or maybe the python exe stays in a constant loop of the installation . So even after installing python the installation page pops again showing the "Modify, Repair, Uninstall" window of python and it just keeps re-appearing no matter which option I choose. Temporarily I choose the base interpreter which comes with pycharm itself but I want to change it to the latest asap can anyone tell me what's wrong with it or how can I fix it ?

finally, loved it. It cleared my confusion. some questions I need to ask. To run a python program we have to be in a virtual environment first or it's just for installing packages only. 2nd question is how I can make separate python interpreter for different python projects? e.g project1---> python3.8 interpreter , project2------> python3.4 interpreter

Great video, details and how to jump in and out of venv, a minor correction if you don't mind, the file paths are separated by backslash \ in Windows, not slash / like in Linux

Is there a particular reason why you instruct in the usage of the Python Console inside PyCharm and not just the window under File -> settings ? That window is very simple to use and the list of installed modules is right there.

good video!

thank you so much...

thanks sir

Hi, thanks for this video. I have a question. Why it is happening that during deactivation of venv my local terminal in pycharm doesn't see python and pip? How to install them correctly on my computer?

where should I put the code I am coding for example function library as I don't want to code in main(), inside vent folder or parallel to main, and how do I import in main ? tried and does not seem to recognize my local functional lib which is in project.

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Thanks dude

Hi, I'm using a Mac and my "problem" is two fold: 1) At 1:18 when setting up the virtual environment. On the left side under my sample project, it does not say "venv library root" like your directory does. Instead, that folder is named "VirtualEnv". 2) The terminal text is different. In the parentheses it reads "(VirtualEnv) USER@COMPUTERNAME sampleproject %". So when I try to write a command like "cd venv" I get this message: cd: no such file or directory: venv. Please advise!

I simply want terminal to autocomplete venv/scripts/activate when i start typing ve... I cannot find out how anywhere! Anyone know? Many thanks.

There is no "Scripts" shown in my pycharm. It has "bin" which has pckages and "lib" which has gitignore and pyvnev.cfg nested under it?

Thanks for the nice intro for beginners like me. I had the "rare" issue that you mentioned and tried what you said. However, setting the scope to CurrentUser did not work for me. So, I had to change it to LocalMachine instead. Now, I don't understand why it did not work and why it worked when I switched it. Can you help me understand?

PowerShell command: Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

sir, in 3:30 wen i type the command LS,am not getting venv ..wat to do now

What is the difference between using the venv and using existing environment? Is there any advantages and disadvantages?

I need help. Now where do I code? In what file

I wish i could like this video 1000 times I had problem of powershell and it was fixed then. How possible.Tnxxx

So why not install all packages globally? What do I gain by installing a package to a virtual environment where it can’t be used for other projects?

Please, can you explain me: how can i run pycharm, venv with python ==3.6? (because Scrapy) Thank you.

I have venv in terminal but can't see venv under project? Could you help me?

"venv" is not prompting when selecting the radio button. Is this because a venv exists on another project within the folder? The answer to this question is not clear.

Hi mate I am not able to get power shell working in Pycharm it is dead could you point me in the right direction thank u

I need your help When I open Virtualenv Environment 02:35 At location: Do I have to paste the path of Python ? It just shows my location of downloads by default like (C:\Users\AVT\Downloads) Idk what to do and OK option isnt highlighted to click on Pls help

I am following the same method but not getting venv , it showing me in the terminal same name as my folder name in place of venv as of yours . Please tell me what to do now

Out of date with the new interface. There is no option to add an interpreter in the settings panel.

You are fckng best

amazing video. Very beautifully explained all the use cases. You are subscribed.

I don’t want virtual environment. Every time I create new projects it goes to virtual environment but I want to create projects in main/global/local (whatever it calls I don’t know). Just show me the way how I avoid virtual environment?