How do I activate a virtualenv inside PyCharm'

Question

I've set up PyCharm, created my virtualenv (either through the virtual env command, or directly in PyCharm) and activated that environment as my Interpreter. Everything is working just fine.

However, if I open a terminal using "Tools, Open Terminal", the shell prompt supplied is not using the virtual env; I still have to use source ~/envs/someenv/bin/activate within that Terminal to activate it.

Another method is to activate the environment in a shell, and run PyCharm from that environment. This is "workable" but pretty ugly, and means I have major problems if I switch environments or projects from PyCharm: I'm now using the totally-wrong environment.

Is there some other, much-easier way to have "Tools, Open Terminal" automatically activate the virtual environment?

Answer 1

Based on answers from Peter and experimentation, I've come up with a good "general solution", which solves the following:

• Restores the behaviour of a login shell. PyCharm normally runs a login shell, but --rcfile stopped this happening. Script still uses --rcfile, but attempts to emulate the INVOCATION behaviour of a login shell.
• Removes the need to create an rcfile for each environment
• Removes the need to update the project settings if you change the environment.

Drop this script into a bin directory somewhere. E.g. ~/bin/pycharmactivate

if [ -r "/etc/profile" ] ; then . /etc/profile ; fi
if [ -r "~/.bash_profile" ] ; then
    . ~/.bash_profile
elif [ -r "~/.bash_login" ] ; then
    . ~/.bash_login
elif [ -r "~/.profile" ] ; then
    . ~/.profile
fi
ACTIVATERC=`cat .idea/workspace.xml | perl -n -e 'print "\$1/bin/activate" if m:option name="SDK_HOME" value="\\\$USER_HOME\\\$(.*)/bin/python":'`
if [ -n "$ACTIVATERC" ] ; then . "$HOME/$ACTIVATERC" ; else echo "Could not find virtualenv from PyCharm" ; fi

Then set PyCharm's Shell path to:

/bin/bash --rcfile ~/bin/pycharmactivate

Answer 2

If you have moved your project to another directory, you can set the new path via Settings dialog. And then you need to set this Project Interpreter in the Edit Configuration dialog.

Answer 3

If your Pycharm 2016.1.4v and higher you should use "default path" /K "<path-to-your-activate.bat>" don't forget quotes

Answer 4

Update:

The preferences in Settings (Preferences) | Tools | Terminal are global.
If you use a venv for each project, remember to use current path variable and a default venv name:

"cmd.exe" /k ""%CD%\venv\Scripts\activate"" 

---

For Windows users: when using PyCharm with a virtual environment, you can use the /K parameter to cmd.exe to set the virtual environment automatically.

PyCharm 3 or 4: Settings, Terminal, Default shell and add /K <path-to-your-activate.bat>.

PyCharm 5: Settings, Tools, Terminal, and add /K <path-to-your-activate.bat> to Shell path.

PyCharm 2016.1 or 2016.2: Settings, Tools, Terminal, and add ""/K <path-to-your-activate.bat>"" to Shell path and add (mind the quotes). Also add quotes around cmd.exe, resulting in:

"cmd.exe" /k ""C:\mypath\my-venv\Scripts\activate.bat""

Answer 5

PyCharm 4.5.4

Create a file .pycharmrc in your home folder with the following contents

source ~/.bashrc
source ~/pycharmvenv/bin/activate

Using your virtualenv path as the last parameter.

Then set the shell Preferences->Project Settings->Shell path to

/bin/bash --rcfile ~/.pycharmrc

I don't why, but it doesn't work for me. PyCharm prints an error.

cmd.exe /K "<path-to-your-activate.bat>" It works, but it creates the same virtualenv for each project, and even if this is not necessary.

This receipt is working! But the string /env_yourenvlocate/scripts/activate.bat must contain quotes, like this "Full_path_to_your_env_locate\scripts\activate.bat"!

Deactivate the virtualenv is very easy - type in the terminal 'deactivate'

(virt_env) D:\Projects\src>deactivate
D:\Projects\src>

Answer 6

This method should work with arbitrary virtual environments per project and it doesn't make assumptions on your environment as it is using hooks you create.

You write:

• A global script that invokes the hook
• A hook script per PyCharm project (not mandatory)

Given that the current latest PyCharm (Community 2016.1) does not allow for Terminal settings per project start with the script that invokes the project specific hook. This is my ~/.pycharmrc:

if [ -r ".pycharm/term-activate" ]; then
   echo "Terminal activation hook detected."
   echo "Loading Bash profile..."
   source ~/.bash_profile
   echo "Activating terminal hook..."
   source ".pycharm/term-activate"
   source activate $PYCHARM_VENV
fi

If you are using something other than Bash, invoke your own .bash_profile equivalent should you wish to.

Now set your PyCharm "Tools -> Terminal -> Shell Path" to invoke this script, e.g.: /bin/bash --rcfile ~/.pycharmrc

Finally, for every PyCharm project you need a specific virtual environment activated, create a file within the PyCharm project root .pycharm/term-activate. This is your hook and it will simply define the name of the desired virtual environment for your PyCharm project:

export PYCHARM_VENV=<your-virtual-env-name>

You can of course extend your hooks with anything you find useful in the terminal environment of your particular PyCharm project.