I am trying to use Anaconda and conda environments to allow Python programs for data acquisition* etc. to run from the (Anaconda) command line on Windows. The set up will be that the Python programs are installed to a particular location (cloned from Github), within %PATH% or whichever environment variable is more appropriate.
From an Anaconda command prompt in another directory and a particular conda environment, I want (both myself and other users) to be able run either python test.py <args> or test.py <args> (either solution is acceptable) and have a system wide conda environment run its Python to execute the program. test.py can/will have an appropriate shebang set.
Right now the python test.py calls the correct Python within the active conda environment, but cannot find the test.py program as Python won't search the %PATH% or similar looking for the program. test.py does something (Windows does not complain that the executable can't be found, and I've been playing with the file associations to get this far), but doesn't appear to start Python - a simple print function or raise statement as the only entry in the file does nothing.
I've tried setting file associations in Windows, but this hasn't changed anything. I've copied the py.exe/pyw.exe across to the Anaconda environments, with no change.
Is this something that can be done within Anaconda, or am I going to have to fall back on installing base Python directly and trying to use the launcher mechanism there?
Note that I'm also intending to deploy these programs on Raspbian, so any solutions, including non-Anaconda ones, that will work cross platform there would be worth extra effort on my part.
*these programs have significant usage of library packages for accessing external USB/GPIB/serial/ethernet connected lab equipment and use matplotlib, scipy, etc., hence the desire for a cloneable conda environment as the base environment.
It turns out the correct answer to this is fairly simple, but is fairly hard to find explained well. This might be a little clearer than the other answers I found:
Install the standalone launcher from pylauncher and add #!/usr/bin/env python shebangs to your scripts.
This should register .py files to Python.File and will find your Anaconda Pythons in appropriate environments. If you don't have a non-Anaconda python, it will use the Anaconda base environment (these two facts were the key element I was missing from various other answers around this problem that I had looked at, including the documents on python.org).
If you have a Python from python.org installed, then a standalone command line shell will use that, defaulting to Python 2.x, then Python 3.x. With #!/usr/bin/env python shebang, then a regular command shell will try to use python.org pythons first, then the Anaconda base environment. An Anaconda prompt will use the active environment. #! /usr/bin/env python2 or python3 will try to use python.org pythons only and fail if they are not found.
Installing Python 2.7 from python.org installers (and letting the installer set the file associations) will break pylauncher, and reinstalling will not fix it. Instead, set Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Python.File\Shell\open\command default value to "C:\WINDOWS\py.exe" "%L" %* to revert back to the pylauncher set up (assuming you used the launchwin.* packages to install it).
I have been having trouble using the requests package in Python 3.6.5. If I run Python 3.5, it works, but not if I run 3.6.5.
I have been trying to remedy this problem by using a virtual environment, but have not had any luck. I have created the virtualenv using this:
mkvirtualenvwrapper -p /usr/local/bin/python3.5 env_test
When I activate that environment and type python -V, it tells me it is using 3.6.5 still. When I type python3.5 -V though, it tells me it is using Python 3.5.5, and which python3.5 says it is sourced in my virtual environment folder.
I guess that virtualenv is installing other versions of Python into the environment as well, and using 3.6.5 as the default, which I don't understand why, but I need it to access python3.5 when I type python. What can I do here?
As you mentioned in your comment, you have an alias set up, where when you type python, it will automatically run python3.6.
To get past this, you have to avoid the alias. You'll have to look up alias in the man of your shell. If it's bash, you could remove the alias by typing unalias python, but chance are, this will only work in the shell you're currently in. Next time you open up a terminal or otherwise have a need to execute your .bashrc and/or .bash_profile, this will likely execute again. You could look for where your alias is set in those files, and remove that line. Or, if the alias gets set in a file outside your control, you could just add unalias ptyhon into your .bashrc.
Or, if you want to just temporarily avoid it,enclose your command in ' or ". 'python' will avoid the alias.
Once the alias is out of your way, what python will likely point you to an area in your virtual env, which should then be a symbolic link to the right version of python.
Just reformatted my Mac to Yosemite and installed Python 2 & 3 using Homebrew. I've also setup some aliases in my bash_profile file which allows me to activate which version of Python I want to use. So if I type p3, it'll launch the python3 shell.
I'm wondering if it's possible to activate a specific version of Python without it starting the Python shell? So if I bring any files into the Terminal for instance, it'll use the version which I've activated?
Cheers!
Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere, I had a good search but I couldn't find anything.
Rather than writing your own scripts to manage different Python versions, I would suggest using a highly-used manager that has been tested in and out by the community: pyenv. With pyenv you can:
Easily install several different Python versions from the command line with no issues of them fighting (pyenv install 3.4.2)
Create virtual environments from any one of those versions if you want to compartmentalize the packages that are available (pyenv virtualenv 3.4.2 mypy3projectvenv), and
Set specific environments or versions to be active either
globally (pyenv global [version-or-venv]),
locally in and below folders you configure (pyenv local [ver-or-venv]), usually useful for projects that you have at a specific version/virtualenv, and
local to the shell until closed (pyenv shell [ver-or-venv]) (this is perhaps most-similar to your putative p3 command.
After setting the Python you want to use, all Python-related calls are redirected to their appropriate target (e.g. python, pip, easy_install, ipython*, django-admin*). Don't execute the Python scripts with any special command, just call them normally (or prefix a standard #!/usr/bin/env python shebang)
*If installed in that version/virtualenv
If you use the pyenv-installer script:
curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yyuu/pyenv-installer/master/bin/pyenv-installer | bash
Then add the couple lines it tells you to your ~/.bash_profile script (and either source it or restart bash)...you'll be up and running in seconds. The trick is usually installing all the Python build dependencies with brew (sqlite, OpenSSH, zlib...), but after that then you're golden.
I'm grading projects written in Python. Some are written in Python 2, some in Python 3. I'm grading them through the command line for simplicity, but right now, projects written with Python 2-specific syntax won't work because the interpreter defaults to Python 3. Is there an easy way to designate which version of Python I want to use on the fly?
You could use Python launcher on Windows:
C:\> py -2 some_script.py
If the script has the shebang such as #!/usr/bin/env python3 then the launcher finds the appropriate Python version automatically:
C:\> py some_script.py
Python launcher is included in the recent Python versions (since 3.3). You could install it separately otherwise.
You could also use vex utility with virtualenv:
$ vex py2 python some_script.py
that runs python some_script.py in py2 virualenv.
On POSIX systems (Linux, OS X) if the script has executable permissions ($ chmod +x some-script) and it has a valid shebang such #!/usr/bin/python then you could run it directly:
$ ./some-script
Which python version (or even which program) will be used is defined by the shebang.
The best way is to use a virtualenv.
The second best way is to just setup your system to use python for python 2 and python3 for python3.
Use aliases:
On windows its:
set "py2= path-to-python2-interpreter"
then call with:
%py2%
On Mac its:
alias py2='path-to-python2-interpreter'
then call with:
py2
On linux, its the same as on a Mac.
Note: these aliases wont save after you close the terminal window.
If you want them to save you need to put them in whatever config file your shell reads on start-up.
I only know the one for linux and its ~/.bashrc
The best way is to use the conda distribution which is available on all platforms. This makes easy to switch environments even with different python versions. For example:
conda create -n nameofpython2environment python=2 # creates a python 2 env
conda create -n nameofpython3environment python=3.3 # creates a python 3 env
Then to work in a given environment just do:
source activate nameofpython2environment
Once you are inside an environment you can install packages there:
conda install numpy
I do most of my programming in Python 3.x on Windows 7, but now I need to use the Python Imaging Library (PIL), ImageMagick, and wxPython, all of which require Python 2.x.
Can I have both Python 2.x and Python 3.x installed in Windows 7? When I run a script, how would I "choose" which version of Python should run it? Will the aforementioned programs be able to handle multiple versions of Python installed at once? I have searched for hours and hours for how to do this to no avail.
Thanks.
I found that the formal way to do this is as follows:
Just install two (or more, using their installers) versions of Python on Windows 7 (for me work with 3.3 and 2.7).
Follow the instuctions below, changing the parameters for your needs.
Create the following environment variable (to default on double click):
Name: PY_PYTHON
Value: 3
To launch a script in a particular interpreter, add the following shebang (beginning of script):
#! python2
To execute a script using a specific interpreter, use the following prompt command:
> py -2 MyScript.py
To launch a specific interpreter:
> py -2
To launch the default interpreter (defined by the PY_PYTHON variable):
> py
Resources
Documentation: Using Python on Windows
PEP 397 - Python launcher for Windows
What I did was download both 2.7.6 and 3.3.4. Python 3.3.4 has the option to add the path to it in the environment variable so that was done. So basically I just manually added Python 2.7.6.
How to...
Start > in the search type in environment select "Edit environment variables to your account"1
Scroll down to Path, select path, click edit.
Add C:\Python27;
so you should have paths to both versions of Python there, but if you don't this you can easily edit it so that you do..... C:\Python27;C:\Python33;
Navigate to the Python27 folder in C:\ and rename a copy of python.exe to python2.exe
Navigate to the Python34 folder in C:\ and rename a copy of python.exe to python3.exe
Test: open up commmand prompt and type python2 ....BOOM! Python 2.7.6. exit out.
Test: open up commmand prompt and type python3 ....BOOM! Python 3.4.3. exit out.
Note: (so as not to break pip commands in step 4 and 5, keep copy of python.exe in the same directory as the renamed file)
I have multiple versions in windows.
I just change the exe name of the version I'm not defaulting to.
python.exe --> python26.exe
pythonw.exe --> pythonw26.exe
As for package installers, most exe installers allow you to choose the python install to add the package too.
For manual installation check out the --prefix option to define where the package should be installed:
http://docs.python.org/install/index.html#alternate-installation-windows-the-prefix-scheme
If you use Anaconda Python, you can easily install various environments.
Say you had Anaconda Python 2.7 installed and you wanted a python 3.4 environment:
conda create -n py34 python=3.4 anaconda
Then to activate the environment:
activate py34
And to deactive:
deactivate py34
(With Linux, you should use source activate py34.)
Links:
Download Anaconda Python
Instructions for environments
To install and run any version of Python in the same system follow my guide below.
For example say you want to install Python 2.x and Python 3.x on the same Windows system.
Install both of their binary releases anywhere you want.
When prompted do not register their file extensions and
do not add them automatically to the PATH environment variable
Running simply the command python the executable that is first met in PATH will be chosen for launch. In other words, add the Python directories manually. The one you add first will be selected when you type python. Consecutive python programs (increasing order that their directories are placed in PATH) will be chosen like so:
py -2 for the second python
py -3 for the third python etc..
No matter the order of "pythons" you can:
run Python 2.x scripts using the command: py -2 (Python 3.x functionality) (ie. the first Python 2.x installation program found in your PATH will be selected)
run Python 3.x scripts using the command: or py -3 (ie. the first Python 3.x installation program found in your PATH will be selected)
In my example I have Python 2.7.14 installed first and Python 3.5.3. This is how my PATH variable starts with:
PATH=C:\Program Files\Microsoft MPI\Bin\;C:\Python27;C:\Program Files\Python_3.6\Scripts\;C:\Program Files\Python_3.6\;C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Intel\Shared
...
Note that Python 2.7 is first and Python 3.5 second.
So running python command will launch python 2.7 (if Python 3.5 the same command would launch Python 3.5).
Running py -2 launches Python 2.7 (because it happens that the second Python is Python 3.5 which is incompatible with py -2).
Running py -3 launches Python 3.5 (because it's Python 3.x)
If you had another python later in your path you would launch like so: py -4. This may change if/when Python version 4 is released.
Now py -4 or py -5 etc. on my system outputs: Requested Python version (4) not installed or Requested Python version (5) not installed etc.
Hopefully this is clear enough.
Here's what you can do:
Install cmder.
Open and use Cmder as you would with you cmd terminal.
Use the command alias to create command aliases.
I did the following:
alias python2 = c:\python27\python.exe
alias python3 = c:\python34\python.exe
And that's it! ;-)
I actually just thought of an interesting solution. While Windows will not allow you to easily alias programs, you can instead create renamed batch files that will call the current program.
Instead of renaming the executable which will break a lot of thing including pip, create the file python2.bat in the same directory as the python2.exe. Then add the following line:
%~dp0python %*
What does this archaic syntax mean? Well, it's a batch script, (Windows version of bash). %~dp0 gets the current directory and %* will just pass all the arguments to python that were passed to the script.
Repeat for python3.bat
You can also do the same for pip and other utilities, just replace the word python in the file with pip or whathever the filename. The alias will be whatever the file is named.
Best of all, when added to the PATH, Windows ignores the extension so running
python3
Will launch the python3 version and and the command python2 will launch the python2 version.
BTW, this is the same technique Spyder uses to add itself to the path on Windows. :)
Starting version 3.3 Windows version has Python launcher, please take a look at section 3.4. Python Launcher for Windows
You can install multiple versions of Python one machine, and during setup, you can choose to have one of them associate itself with Python file extensions. If you install modules, there will be different setup packages for different versions, or you can choose which version you want to target. Since they generally install themselves into the site-packages directory of the interpreter version, there shouldn't be any conflicts (but I haven't tested this). To choose which version of python, you would have to manually specify the path to the interpreter if it is not the default one. As far as I know, they would share the same PATH and PYTHONPATH variables, which may be a problem.
Note: I run Windows XP. I have no idea if any of this changes for other versions, but I don't see any reason that it would.
What I have done on my own windows computer where I have Python 2.7 and Python 3.4 installed is I wrote a simple .bat file in the same directory as my Python.exe files. They look something like,
cmd /k "c:\python27\python.exe" %*
The %* allows you to add arguments (Python files) afterwards. I believe /k keeps the prompt open after it finishes running the script. Then I save that as python27.bat Then I go to my Python 3 directory and make a bat file there. Now in my command line I can write
Python27 helloworld.py
Or
Python34 helloworld.py
And they will run in their respective versions of Python. Make sure that c:\python27 and c:\python34 are in your environment variables.
I got my answer from here
I did this in three steps by following the instructions here: This is all taken directly from here: http://ipython.readthedocs.io/en/stable/install/kernel_install.html. I'm currently running Python 2.x on Windows 8 and have Anaconda 4.2.13 installed.
1) First install the latest version of python:
conda create -n python3 python=3 ipykernel
2) Next activate python3
activate python3
3) Install the kernel:
python -m ipykernel install --user
If you have Python 3 installed and want to install 2, switch the 2 and the 3 above. When you open a new notebook, you can now choose between Python 2 or 3.
Check your system environment variables after installing Python, python 3's directories should be first in your PATH variable, then python 2.
Whichever path variable matches first is the one Windows uses.
As always py -2 will launch python2 in this scenario.
I have encountered that problem myself and I made my launchers in a .bat so you could choose the version you want to launch.
The only problem is your .py must be in the python folder, but anyway here is the code:
For Python2
#echo off
title Python2 Launcher by KinDa
cls
echo Type the exact version of Python you use (eg. 23, 24, 25, 26)
set/p version=
cls
echo Type the file you want to launch without .py (eg. hello world, calculator)
set/p launch=
path = %PATH%;C:\Python%version%
cd C:\Python%version%
python %launch%.py
pause
For Python3
#echo off
title Python3 Launcher by KinDa
cls
echo Type the exact version of Python you use (eg. 31, 32, 33, 34)
set/p version=
cls
echo Type the file you want to launch without .py (eg. hello world, calculator)
set/p launch=
cls
set path = %PATH%:C:\Python%version%
cd C:\Python%version%
python %launch%.py
pause
Save them as .bat and follow the instructions inside.
Install the one you use most (3.3 in my case) over the top of the other. That'll force IDLE to use the one you want.
Alternatively (from the python3.3 README):
Installing multiple versions
On Unix and Mac systems if you intend to install multiple versions of Python
using the same installation prefix (--prefix argument to the configure script)
you must take care that your primary python executable is not overwritten by the
installation of a different version. All files and directories installed using
"make altinstall" contain the major and minor version and can thus live
side-by-side. "make install" also creates ${prefix}/bin/python3 which refers to
${prefix}/bin/pythonX.Y. If you intend to install multiple versions using the
same prefix you must decide which version (if any) is your "primary" version.
Install that version using "make install". Install all other versions using
"make altinstall".
For example, if you want to install Python 2.6, 2.7 and 3.3 with 2.7 being the
primary version, you would execute "make install" in your 2.7 build directory
and "make altinstall" in the others.
I just had to install them. Then I used the free (and portable) soft at http://defaultprogramseditor.com/ under "File type settings"/"Context menu"/search:"py", chose .py file and added an 'open' command for the 2 IDLE by copying the existant command named 'open with IDLE, changing names to IDLE 3.4.1/2.7.8, and remplacing the files numbers of their respective versions in the program path. Now I have just to right click the .py file and chose which IDLE I want to use. Can do the same with direct interpreters if you prefer.
I use a simple solution to switch from a version to another version of python, you can install all version you want. All you have to do is creating some variable environment.
In my case, I have installed python 2.7 and python 3.8.1, so I have created this environment variables:
PYTHON_HOME_2.7=<path_python_2.7>
PYTHON_HOME_3.8.1=<path_python_3.8.1>
PYTHON_HOME=%PYTHON_HOME_2.7%
then in my PATH environment variable I put only %PYTHON_HOME% and %PYTHON_HOME%\Scripts. In the example above I'm using the version 2.7, when I want to switch to the other version I have only to set the PYTHON_HOME=%PYTHON_HOME_3.8.1%.
I use this method to switch quickly from a version to another also for JAVA, MAVEN, GRADLE,ANT, and so on.
Only Works if your running your code in your Python IDE
I have both Python 2.7 and Python 3.3 installed on my windows operating system. If I try to launch a file, it will usually open up on the python 2.7 IDE. How I solved this issue, was when I choose to run my code on python 3.3, I open up python 3.3 IDLE(Python GUI), select file, open my file with the IDLE and save it. Then when I run my code, it runs to the IDLE that I currently opened it with. It works vice versa with 2.7.
I have installed both python 2.7.13 and python 3.6.1 on windows 10pro and I was getting the same "Fatal error" when I tried pip2 or pip3.
What I did to correct this was to go to the location of python.exe for python 2 and python 3 files and create a copy of each, I then renamed each copy to python2.exe and python3.exe depending on the python version in the installation folder. I therefore had in each python installation folder both a python.exe file and a python2.exe or python3.exe depending on the python version.
This resolved my problem when I typed either pip2 or pip3.
If you can't get anything else to work, open an interpreter in whichever version you choose (I prefer using iPython) and:
import subprocess
subprocess.call('python script.py -flags')
This uses whichever python version you are currently operating under. Works fine for a single script, but will quickly get out of hand if there are lots of scripts you run, in which case you can always make a batch file with all of these calls inside. Not the most elegant answer, but it works.
Is there a way to make aliases for different python version a la Linux?