Using Python 3 in virtualenv

Prometheus picture Prometheus · May 24, 2014 · Viewed 915.9k times · Source

Using virtualenv, I run my projects with the default version of Python (2.7). On one project, I need to use Python 3.4.

I used brew install python3 to install it on my Mac. Now, how do I create a virtualenv that uses the new version?

e.g. sudo virtualenv envPython3

If I try:

virtualenv -p python3 test

I get:

Running virtualenv with interpreter /usr/local/bin/python3
Using base prefix '/usr/local/Cellar/python3/3.4.0_1/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.4'
New python executable in test/bin/python3.4
Also creating executable in test/bin/python
Failed to import the site module
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/user/Documents/workspace/test/test/bin/../lib/python3.4/site.py", line 67, in <module>
    import os
  File "/Users/user/Documents/workspace/test/test/bin/../lib/python3.4/os.py", line 634, in <module>
    from _collections_abc import MutableMapping
ImportError: No module named '_collections_abc'
ERROR: The executable test/bin/python3.4 is not functioning
ERROR: It thinks sys.prefix is '/Users/user/Documents/workspace/test' (should be '/Users/user/Documents/workspace/test/test')
ERROR: virtualenv is not compatible with this system or executable

Answer

tbrisker picture tbrisker · May 24, 2014

simply run

virtualenv -p python3 envname

Update after OP's edit:

There was a bug in the OP's version of virtualenv, as described here. The problem was fixed by running:

pip install --upgrade virtualenv