Calling IPython from a virtualenv

Question

I understand that IPython is not virtualenv-aware and that the most logical solution to this is to install ipython in each virtualenv seperately using

pip i         


        

Answer 1

I'll chime in years later in hopes someone finds this useful.

This solution solves a few problems:

• You don't need iPython installed in the current virtualenv, only for the global Python that matches your virtualenv's Python version (3.6 != 3.7).
• Works for users of pyenv where your global Python version might be 3.7 and your local virtualenv Python is 3.6 therefore using the global ipython will fail.
• Works outside of virtual environments (though not particularly useful as it always targets python).

Throw this in your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc or what have you:

# This is a roundabout way to start ipython from inside a virtualenv without it being installed
# in that virtualenv. The only caveot is that the "global" python must have ipython installed.
# What this function does that's different than simply calling the global ipython is it ensures to
# call the ipython that is installed for the same major.minor python version as in the virtualenv.
# This is most useful if you use pyenv for example as global python3 could be 3.7 and local
# virtualenv python3 is 3.6.
function ipy {
  local PY_BIN
  local IPYTHON
  local PYV
  # This quick way will work if ipython is in the virtualenv
  PY_BIN="$(python -c 'import sys; print(sys.executable)')"
  IPYTHON="$(dirname "$PY_BIN")/ipython"
  if [[ -x "$IPYTHON" ]]; then
    "$IPYTHON"
  else
    # Ask the current python what version it is
    PYV="$(python -c 'import sys; print(".".join(str(i) for i in sys.version_info[:2]))')"
    echo "Looking for iPython for Python $PYV"
    # In a new shell (where pyenv should load if equipped) try to find that version
    PY_BIN="$($SHELL -i -c "python$PYV -c 'import sys; print(sys.executable)'")"
    "$(dirname "$PY_BIN")/ipython"
  fi
}

Then source or open a new terminal and run ipy.