Sharing Python virtualenv environments

Question

I have a Python virtualenv (created with virtualenvwerapper) in one user account. I would like to use it from another user account on the same host.

How can I set up virtual environments so as to be available to any user on the host? (Primarily Linux / Debian but also macOS.)

Answer 1

Put it in a user-neutral directory, and make it group-readable.

For instance, for libraries, I use /srv/http/share/ for sharing code across web applications.

You could use /usr/local/share/ for normal applications.

• chernevik: But what's the virtualenv / virtualenvwrapper syntax for using that directory? With virtualenvwrapper, the the command line << workon some_env >> looks for an environment in the user's .virtualenv directory.
• Flavius: What do you mean? You use . bin/activate as usual.
• chernevik: I'm sorry, I don't follow. When I switch into an environment, my command line is << workon some_env >> -- I don't touch bin/activate.
• chernevik: Now I get it. 1: Create environment w/ << virtualenv hothouse -p python2.7 >>. This will create a directory for the environment in the working directory, with a subdir bin/ and script activate. 2: Use the environment with << source [absolute path to environment dir]/bin/activate >>. With proper permissions, presto, the terminal environment now calls that virtualenv. Leave with deactivate. This same call works for environments created with virtualenvwrapper. Thx.
• hobs: @Flavius you just need to sudo mv ~/.virtualenvs /usr/local/share, mkdir -p /usr/src/venv_projects/, chmod g+rwx /usr/local/share/.virtualenvs, ` chmod g+rwx /usr/local/share/venv_projects` then edit your environment variables for virtualenvwrapper (usually in .bashrc before source virtualenvwrapper.sh). your new bashrc should have lines like export PROJECT_HOME="/usr/src/venv" and export WORKON_HOME="/usr/src/venv. Once you (or others in your group) log in (assuming they've put these lines in their bashrc too!) they can use the workon and mkproject commands as usual

Answer 2

I had to do this for workmates. The @Flavius answer worked great once I added a few commands to handle virtualenvwrapper. You need to put your venvs and your WORKON projects folder some place you and your boss/friend can find and use.

sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share
sudo mv ~/.virtualenvs /usr/local/share
sudo mkdir -p /usr/src/venv/

Assuming you want everyone on the machine to be able to both mkproject and workon:

chmod a+rwx /usr/local/share/.virtualenvs
chmod a+rwx /usr/src/venv

Otherwise chown and chmod to match your security requirements.

If you have any hooks or scripts that expect ~/.virtualenvs to be in the normal place, you better symlink it (on both your user account and your friend's)

ln -s /usr/local/share/.virtualenvs ~/.virtualenvs

Then modify your (and your friend's) .bashrc file to let virtualenvwrapper know where you moved things. Your bashrc should have something like this:

export PROJECT_HOME="/usr/src/venv/"
export WORKON_HOME="/usr/local/share/.virtualenvs"
export USR_BIN=$(dirname $(which virtualenv))
if [ -f $USR_BIN/virtualenvwrapper.sh ]; then
 source $USR_BIN/virtualenvwrapper.sh
else
 if [ -f /usr/bin/virtualenvwrapper.sh ]; then
 source /usr/bin/local/virtualenvwrapper.sh
 else
 echo "Can't find a virtualenv wrapper installation"
 fi 
fi

Once you log out and back in (or just source ~/.bashrc you should be good to go with commands like mkproject awesome_new_python_project and workon awesome_new_python_project.

As a bonus, add hooks to load the project folder in sublime every time your workon.

• pepe: I can't seem to make it work (a module cannot be found when setting up as you suggested)—what is the role of mkdir -p /usr/src/venv—is that dir used for anything?
• hobs: @pepe /usr/src/venv is probably unnecessary. I don't know why I originally did it that way.