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Virtual confusion

So, I open a terminal, a CD on my desktop and run:

virtualenv test_env

Then I create the following file in my normal environment:

/home/jesse/.local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/foo_package/__init__.py

This file contains one line:

print "importing from normal env"

In test_env, I create:

/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/site-packages/foo_package/__init__.py

Contains:

print "importing from test env"

Now I open the terminal and run:

$ /home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/bin/python

And then do:

>>> import foo_package

What outputs:

importing from normal env

Why doesn't he import the file from test_env? I thought that was the meaning of the virtual. Did I miss something?

Edit: John X told me that I need to activate the environment. But this does not seem to fix the problem ...

 jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ source bin/activate (test_env) jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ bin/python Python 2.6.2 (release26-maint, Apr 19 2009, 01:56:41) [GCC 4.3.3] on linux2 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import foo_package importing from normal env >>>

Using Ubuntu 9.04 / Python 2.6.2 / virtualenv 1.33 in case it is relevant.

Edit 2: Hayes asked me what sys.path was in my virtualenv ...

 jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ source bin/activate (test_env) jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ bin/python Python 2.6.2 (release26-maint, Apr 19 2009, 01:56:41) [GCC 4.3.3] on linux2 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import sys >>> sys.path

Output: ['', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/ dist- packages / enum -0.4.3-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / clonedigger-1.0.9_beta-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / ETS-3.2.0-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / TraitsGUI-3.0.4-py2.6 .egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / TraitsBackendWX-3.1.0-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / TraitsBackendQt -3.1.0-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / yolk-0.4.1-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2 .6 / dist-packages / pylint-0.18.0-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / logilab_astng-0.19.0-py2.6.egg ',' /usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/logilab_common-0.39.0-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / pudb-0.92.7- py2. 6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / Pygments-1.0-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / ETSProjectTools- 0.5.1-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / l ib / python2.6 / dist-packages / pydee-0.4.24-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2 .6 / dist-packages / visionegg-1.2.1-py2.6-linux -i686.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / PyOpenGL-3.0.0c1-py2.6. egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / Whoosh-0.2.6-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / pyinotify- 0.8.6-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / svgbatch-0.1.9-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2. 6 / dist-packages / pyglet-1.1.3-py2.6.egg ',' /usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/lepton-1.0b2-py2.6-linux-i686.egg ' , '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/rope -0.9.2-py2.6.egg', '/ usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / simplejson-2.0. 9-py2.6-linux-i686.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / pymunk-0.8.4-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / cssutils-0.9.6-py2.6. egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / Shapely-1.0.14-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / sympy- 0.6.5-py2.6.egg ',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / virtualenvwra pper-1.20-py2.6.egg ',' / home / jesse / Desktop / test_env / lib /python2.6 ',' / home / jesse / Desktop / test_env / lib / python2.6 / plat-linux2 ',' / home / jesse / Desktop / test_env / lib / python2.6 / lib-tk ',' / home / jesse / Desktop / test_env / lib / python2.6 / lib-old ',' / home / jesse / Desktop / test_env / lib / python2.6 / lib-dynload ',' / usr / lib / python2.6 ' , '/ usr / lib / python2.6 / plat-linux2', '/ usr / lib / python2.6 / lib-tk', '/ home / jesse / .local / lib / python2.6 / site-packages' , '/ home / jesse / Desktop / test_env / lib / python2.6 / site-packages',' / usr / local / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages', '/ usr / lib / python2.6 / dist -packages ',' / usr / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / Numeric ',' / usr / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / PIL ',' / usr / lib / python2.6 / dist- packages / gst-0.10 ',' / var / lib / python-support / python2.6 ',' / usr / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / gtk-2.0 ',' / var / lib / python-support / python2. 6 / gtk-2.0 ',' / usr / lib / python2.6 / dist-packages / wx-2.8- gtk2-unicode ']

Edit 3: I found this: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/python-virtualenv/+bug/339904 There are apparently some issues with virtualenv + python 2.6 + ubuntu 9.04. Not sure if this is due to my problem ... I tried removing the python-virtualenv package via Synaptic and then installing version 1.3.4 virtualenv via easy_install, but still have the same problem ...

 jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ source bin/activate (test_env) jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ bin/python Python 2.6.2 (release26-maint, Apr 19 2009, 01:56:41) [GCC 4.3.3] on linux2 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import foo_package importing from normal env >>> import sys >>> print sys.path ['', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/plat-linux2', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/lib-tk', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/lib-old', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/lib-dynload', '/usr/lib/python2.6', '/usr/lib/python2.6/plat-linux2', '/usr/lib/python2.6/lib-tk', '/home/jesse/.local/lib/python2.6/site-packages', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/site-packages', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/enum-0.4.3-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/clonedigger-1.0.9_beta-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/ETS-3.2.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/TraitsGUI-3.0.4-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/TraitsBackendWX-3.1.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/TraitsBackendQt-3.1.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/yolk-0.4.1-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pylint-0.18.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/logilab_astng-0.19.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/logilab_common-0.39.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pudb-0.92.7-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/Pygments-1.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/ETSProjectTools-0.5.1-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pydee-0.4.24-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/visionegg-1.2.1-py2.6-linux-i686.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/PyOpenGL-3.0.0c1-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/Whoosh-0.2.6-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pyinotify-0.8.6-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/svgbatch-0.1.9-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pyglet-1.1.3-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/lepton-1.0b2-py2.6-linux-i686.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/rope-0.9.2-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/simplejson-2.0.9-py2.6-linux-i686.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pymunk-0.8.4-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/cssutils-0.9.6-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/Shapely-1.0.14-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/sympy-0.6.5-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/virtualenvwrapper-1.20-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/virtualenv-1.3.4-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/enum-0.4.3-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/ETS-3.2.0-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/yolk-0.4.1-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/Whoosh-0.2.6-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pyinotify-0.8.6-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pyglet-1.1.3-py2.6.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/simplejson-2.0.9-py2.6-linux-i686.egg', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/site-packages/gtk-2.0', '/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages', '/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages', '/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/Numeric', '/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/PIL', '/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/gst-0.10', '/var/lib/python-support/python2.6', '/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/gtk-2.0', '/var/lib/python-support/python2.6/gtk-2.0', '/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/wx-2.8-gtk2-unicode']

This looks like a step forward because test_env stuff appears in the way, but it still doesn't work. I think my current problem is that "/home/jesse/.local/lib/python2.6/site-packages" occurs on the way to '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6 / site-packages

Edit 4: Roger suggested creating an env with the -no-site-packages option. I have tried this. Same problem.

 jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ source bin/activate (test_env) jesse@jesse-laptop :~/Desktop/test_env$ bin/python Python 2.6.2 (release26-maint, Apr 19 2009, 01:56:41) [GCC 4.3.3] on linux2 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import foo_package importing from normal env >>> import sys >>> sys.path ['', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/plat-linux2', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/lib-tk', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/lib-old', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/lib-dynload', '/usr/lib/python2.6', '/usr/lib/python2.6/plat-linux2', '/usr/lib/python2.6/lib-tk', '/home/jesse/.local/lib/python2.6/site-packages', '/home/jesse/Desktop/test_env/lib/python2.6/site-packages'] >>>

Again, it seems that the problem is that the site packages in my ".local" appear earlier in the path than the package sites in "test_env".

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4 answers

You are encountering an error in virtualenv. It has not yet been updated to properly manage local directories. I registered a problem for this in the error tracker .

UPDATE : this bug is now fixed in virtualenv 1.4.2 and later.

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From the steps you described, it seems you did not activate virtual env. At:

 source bin/activate

.. inside the virtualenv you created. You should see something like:

 (test_env)computername:foldername$

Running python from here should get your version of virtualenv.

Without this step, it will still use your default Python installation.

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Edit: Post above me correctly, you forgot to activate. Using virtualenvwrapper, I never did this step so badly :)

Looking at it, it looks like you are doing everything right, but I would like to make an offer that you have never heard of: virtualenvwrapper makes working with virtualenv much faster and easier. You may be interested to try and see if you all have the same problem, maybe you will find that you are missing.

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And you need to create a virtual environment using the --no-site-packages option

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