Activating Anaconda Environment in VsCode

Question

I have Anaconda working on my system and VsCode working, but how do I get VsCode to activate a specific environment when running my python script?

Answer 1

The best option I found is to set the python.venvPath parameter in vscode settings to your anaconda envs folder.

"python.venvPath": "/Users/[...]/Anaconda3/envs"

Then if you bring up the command palette (ctl + shift + P on windows/linux, cmd + shift + P on mac) and type Python: Select Workspace Interpreter all your envs will show up and you can select which env to use.

The python extension will also need to be installed for the Select Workspace Interpreter option.

Note: The Select Workspace Interpreter takes around 10 seconds to come up on my computer using the current version of VSCode.

Answer 2

Simply use

1. shift + cmd + P
2. Search Select Interpreter

3. Select it and it will show you the list of your virtual environment created via conda and other python versions

4. select the environment and you are ready to go.

Answer 3

I found a hacky solution replace your enviornment variable for the original python file so instead it can just call from the python.exe from your anaconda folder, so when you reference python it will reference anaconda's python.

so your only python path in env var should be like

"C:\Anaconda3\envs\py34\", or where ever the python exe lives

If you need more details I don't mind explaining. :)

Answer 4

Unfortunately, this does not work on macOS. Despite the fact that I have export CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV='$HOME/anaconda3/envs/dev' in my .zshrc and "python.pythonPath": "${env.CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV}/bin/python", in my VSCode prefs, the built-in terminal does not use that environment's Python, even if I have started VSCode from the command line where that variable is set.

Answer 5

Although approved answer is correct, I want to show a bit different approach (based on this answer).

Vscode can automatically choose correct anaconda environment if you start vscode from it. Just add to user/workspace settings:

{
    "python.pythonPath": "C:/<proper anaconda path>/Anaconda3/envs/${env:CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV}/python"
}

It works on Windows, macOS and probably Unix. Further read on variable substitution in vscode: here.

Answer 6

If you need an independent environment for your project: Install your environment to your project folder using the --prefix option:

conda create --prefix C:\your\workspace\root\awesomeEnv\ python=3

In VSCode launch.json configuration set your "pythonPath" to:

"pythonPath":"${workspaceRoot}/awesomeEnv/python.exe"