A Guide to Python’s Virtual Environments

What they are, how to use them, and how they really work.

The Gate of Dependency Hell: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Illustration by Gustave Doré.

Python’s virtual environments make life easier. A lot easier.

☄ In this guide we’ll cover the basics of virtual environments and how to use them. Then we’ll peek under the hood and take a closer look at how virtual environments actually work.