Installing pyenv on macOS for Zsh using Homebrew

install_pyenv_mac_zsh.rst

Installing pyenv on macOS for Zsh using Homebrew

Published May-13-2020

• Installation
• Basic Usage
• Virtualenv

Installation

Install pyenv and pyenv-virtualenv thru Homebrew

~$ brew update
~$ brew install pyenv
~$ brew install pyenv-virtualenv

Add the following lines to the end of the .zshrc file in your root directory (~)

export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
export PIPENV_PYTHON="$PYENV_ROOT/shims/python"

plugin=(
  pyenv
)

eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"

Reload the .zshrc file to apply the changes made

~$ source ~/.zshrc

See all available versions for pyenv

~$ pyenv install --list
Available versions:
2.1.3
2.2.3.
2.3.7
...

Install a Python version from the list above. Note that this may take some time to complete

~$ pyenv install 3.5.6

Check on the installed pyenv Python versions

~$ pyenv versions
* system (set by /User/user/.pyenv/shims/version)
3.5.6

Basic Usage

Switch the global Python to a specific version

~$ pyenv global 3.5.6
~$ python -V
Python 3.5.6

Switch back the global Python to the system version

~$ pyenv global system
~$ python -V
Python 3.7.7

You can also set a project-specific version of Python

~$ pyenv global system
~$
~$ mkdir project
~$ cd project
project$ pyenv local 3.5.6
project$ python -V
Python 3.5.6
project$ cd ..
~$ python -V
Python 3.7.7

Virtualenv

Create a virtualenv for the Python version used for pyenv

~$ pyenv virtualenv 3.5.6 venv35
...
~$ pyenv activate venv35
(venv35) ~$ pyenv deactivate
~$

Check on the installed pyenv virtualenvs

~$ pyenv virtualenvs
venv35 (created from /Users/mari/.pyenv/shims/versions/3.5.6)

For Zsh (https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#basic-github-checkout), in my case installed pyenv with brew.

On a fresh install of mac os Monterey (12.0.1) linking shims was unsuccessful. The trick was to first run the command pyenv install, which apparently puts some things in order. You can then proceed with the following edit to your .zshrc file with no changes to .zprofile:

echo 'eval "$(pyenv init --path)"' >> ~/.zshrc

also see:

• https://opensource.com/article/19/5/python-3-default-mac (little outdated)
• https://stackoverflow.com/a/67789120

Thank you @prussyuval - your approach worked for me. Duplicating your approach here for convenience.

Enter this into your .zshrc

eval "$(pyenv init --path)"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

Thanks matevzkren. I can solve my issues using your suggestions.

Huge thanks for this suggestion

eval "$(pyenv init --path)"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

Probably saved me a few hours!

Great instructions !

This saved my life! Seriously, I added the .zprofile entries the the pyenv installed listed , but they didn't work. creating .zshrc with the specified commands worked like a charm.

Thank you

Awesome, thank you. This helped with some headaches.
Specifically trying to use the invoke ... commands after starting poetry.
Poetry uses the invoke build and invoke start (from what I understand), which is not supported in Python 3.10+.
Using pyenv i was able get other versions of Python installed to help.

The missing pieces for me were...

1. Install pyenv virtual env ( brew install pyenv-virtualenv )
2. Init pyenv virtual env ( adding eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)" to my zsh )
3. Create and activate a virtual env ( pyenv virtualenv 3.5.6 venv35 and pyenv activate venv35 )

Other mentions that may have helped...
Adding the eval "$(pyenv init --path)" to my zsh
Using export PIPENV_PYTHON="$PYENV_ROOT/shims/python" in my zsh
Using export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH" instead of what was on the pyenv docs in my zsh

For anybody that is using oh-my-zsh: if you're having problems with "pyenv not found" and/or a borked PATH, try putting above commands in your ~/.zshrc above the line that sources oh-my-zsh.sh (source $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh).

Once I did this, pyenv started working correctly.

@e-volusian thank you, great note

@e-volusian thank you, this still solve the issue!