GNet Solutions » GNU/Linux Administration

This is a guide for setting up a simple development environment for Python 2.7 with virtualenv on Arch Linux.

Prepare the Environment¶

• Make sure the system is up to date:
  

  pacman -Syyuu
  

Install Python¶

• Install python and a few dependencies:
  

  pacman -S python2 python2-{pip,pkgconfig,setuptools,virtualenv}
  

• Create a non-privileged user to develop with:
  

  useradd -m -g users -s /bin/bash -c "Python Dev" pydev
  passwd pydev
  

Use Python2 Explicitly¶

• Switch to the python dev user:
  

  su - pydev
  

• First create a bin folder in the pydev user home directory:
  

  mkdir ~/bin
  

• Then add a symlink python to python2 and the config scripts in it:
  

  ln -s /usr/bin/python2 ~/bin/python
  ln -s /usr/bin/python2-config ~/bin/python-config
  

• Finally put the new folder at the beginning of your PATH variable:
  

  echo 'export PATH=~/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bash_profile
  

• Exit from the pydev user session:
  

  exit
  

Create Virtualenv¶

• Switch to the python dev user:
  

  su - pydev
  

• Create a new virtualenv called new_app:
  

  virtualenv2 new_app
  

• Activate the new_app virtualenv to begin using it:
  

  source ./new_app/bin/activate
  

• Install or develop the new_app:
  

  pip install new_app
  

• When done working in the virtual environment for the moment, deactivate it:
  

  deactivate
  

wxPython in virtualenv¶

• Switch to the python dev user:
  

  su - pydev
  

• Activate the new_app virtualenv to begin using it:
  

  source ./new_app/bin/activate
  

• Install wxpython:
  

  pip install wx
  

• Deactivate and reactivate new_app virtualenv to refresh libraries:
  

  deactivate
  source ./new_app/bin/activate
  

Test wxPython in virtualenv¶

• Start an iPython session:
  

  ipython
  

  • And use the following code example to test windows
    

    import wx
    app = wx.App(False)
    frame = wx.Frame(None, wx.ID_ANY, "Running from virtualenv!")
    frame.Show(True)
    app.MainLoop()
    

Resources¶

• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/python
• http://docs.python-guide.org/en/latest/dev/virtualenvs/
• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14141431/cant-use-wxpython-in-virtualenv