Error: Command '['/path/to/env/bin/python3.7', '-Im', 'ensurepip', '--upgrade', '--default-pip']' returned non-zero exit status 1

Question

I just installed python3.7 on my 18.04LTS via the deadsnakes ppa:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
sudo apt install python3.7 -y

Now I want to create a virtual environment with python3.7 -m venv env but I get

Error: Command '['/path/to/desired/env/bin/python3.7', '-Im', 'ensurepip', '--upgrade', '--default-pip']' returned non-zero exit status 1.

python3 -m venv env0 worked fine before.

Why does this happen?
What can I do to create a virtual environment for python3.7 on Ubuntu 18.04LTS?

score 115 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 02 '20 at 20:08

115

I am using python3.9. The command below solved the issue for me:

sudo apt-get install python3.9-venv

answered Nov 02 '20 at 20:08

Jumshud

1,251

1

Logical suggestion, however running the command resulted in E: Unable to locate package python3.9-venv – Mateja Petrovic Jan 20 '21 at 12:54
2

@MatejaPetrovic Install deadsnakes ppa first: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa – Joel G Mathew Aug 08 '21 at 17:28
@JoelGMathew Package 'python3.7-venv' has no installation candidate. Even with deadsnakes. – Gulzar Jan 24 '22 at 13:58
@Gulzar It's definitely there. Make sure you ran sudo apt-get update first to refresh your local package listing. – Cerin Feb 20 '22 at 02:47
@Cerin I later found out the problem was old ubuntu. see this – Gulzar Feb 20 '22 at 08:12
i m on 3.11.6 and was facing the same issue. and it helped right away. thanks for posting it – Raghav Nov 01 '23 at 15:30

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 21 '20 at 16:45

I realised that python3.7 comes with bionic and removed ppa:deadsnakes/ppa as well as python3.7. After installing it regularly, I got the following:

$ python3.7 -m venv v2
The virtual environment was not created successfully because ensurepip is not
available.  On Debian/Ubuntu systems, you need to install the python3-venv
package using the following command.

apt-get install python3-venv
You may need to use sudo with that command.  After installing the python3-venv
package, recreate your virtual environment.
Failing command: ['/home/.../v2/bin/python3.7', '-Im', 'ensurepip', '--upgrade', '--default-pip']

python3-venv was already installed, but python3.7-venv wasn't, and with that I could create the environment.

You can create the virtual environment without installing pip by default with python3.7 -m venv --without-pip v2. — cserpell, Sep 07 '22 at 21:37

cantdutchthis · Answer 3 · 2021-10-22T15:30:44.327

4

On my machine I've noticed that while python -m venv does not work, this command does:

virtualenv --python=$(which python3.7) venv

Edit:

There is a more modern version of this command these days. It should work on python3.7 and up.

python3.7 -m venv venv

As mentioned in the commands, this command should also work:

python3.7 -m virtualenv venv

edited Oct 22 '21 at 15:30

answered May 17 '21 at 11:15

cantdutchthis

159

What is your machine running? – muru May 17 '21 at 13:48
Works for me on Amazon Linux AMI / RHEL Fedora! – Kartik Chugh Jul 30 '21 at 23:18
But virtualenv is not the same as venv. – wovano Oct 19 '21 at 16:41
BTW: I think that python3.7 -m virtualenv venv does the same as your command (but is easier, IMHO). – wovano Oct 19 '21 at 16:43
1

I really do not understand why but python3 -m venv venv does not work and python3 -m virtualenv venv works on my case. I'm using Python 3.9.7 in Pure OS 10 (Linux based OS ) – vpz Jan 28 '22 at 10:49

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 07 '21 at 21:25

4

This worked for me (Thx Joseph..):
sudo apt-get install python3.10-dev
sudo apt-get install python3.10-venv
After this: python3.10 -m venv venv works fine!

answered Dec 07 '21 at 21:25

giwyni

149

I only had to install python3.10-venv – CJCombrink Nov 04 '24 at 21:52

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Feb 14 '21 at 13:55

2

Use this apt-get install python3.7-dev python3.7-venv to install python3.7-dev and python3.7-venv packages and you are good to go

answered Feb 14 '21 at 13:55

Joseph Daudi

129

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Jun 10 '21 at 14:33

This error occurred to me in a very different scenario. Hope it ends up helping someone.

I was working on my ntfs drives and they were being auto-mounted at boot in /etc/fstab using ntfs-3g with root permissions by default.

When trying to create virtualenv it showed me the same error. This was fixed by adding uid and gid particular flags in /etc/fstab

UUID=<uuid> <mount-path> ntfs <other-flags>,uid=<uid of user>,gid=<gid of user> 0 0

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Jun 21 '22 at 14:49

0

Maybe it's useful. Under WSL I had to:

$ sudo python3.8 -m venv venv

answered Jun 21 '22 at 14:49

Lucio Rossi

21

Solved it for me. Shame about the downvotes. – Josh Greifer Apr 25 '23 at 16:57

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Apr 11 '23 at 16:45

0

I had python 2.7 on my system, and the default pip command was pointing to that installation. I think that's why python3 -m venv DIR failed. This, however, worked:

sudo pip3 install virtualenv
python3 -m virtualenv --python=python3 DIR

answered Apr 11 '23 at 16:45

LexH

101

Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. – Community Apr 12 '23 at 10:07

Error: Command '['/path/to/env/bin/python3.7', '-Im', 'ensurepip', '--upgrade', '--default-pip']' returned non-zero exit status 1

8 Answers8