Command Reference

Like git, the pyenv command delegates to subcommands based on its first argument.

The most common subcommands are:

pyenv help
pyenv commands
pyenv local
pyenv global
pyenv shell
pyenv install
pyenv uninstall
pyenv rehash
pyenv version
pyenv versions
pyenv which
pyenv whence
pyenv exec
pyenv root
pyenv prefix
pyenv latest
pyenv hooks
pyenv shims
pyenv init
pyenv completions

`pyenv help`

List all available pyenv commands along with a brief description of what they do. Run pyenv help <command> for information on a specific command. For full documentation, see: https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#readme

`pyenv commands`

Lists all available pyenv commands.

`pyenv local`

Sets a local application-specific Python version by writing the version name to a .python-version file in the current directory. This version overrides the global version, and can be overridden itself by setting the PYENV_VERSION environment variable or with the pyenv shell command.

$ pyenv local 2.7.6

When run without a version number, pyenv local reports the currently configured local version. You can also unset the local version:

$ pyenv local --unset

Previous versions of pyenv stored local version specifications in a file named .pyenv-version. For backwards compatibility, pyenv will read a local version specified in an .pyenv-version file, but a .python-version file in the same directory will take precedence.

`pyenv local` (advanced)

You can specify multiple versions as local Python at once.

Let's say if you have two versions of 2.7.6 and 3.3.3. If you prefer 2.7.6 over 3.3.3,

$ pyenv local 2.7.6 3.3.3
$ pyenv versions
  system
* 2.7.6 (set by /Users/yyuu/path/to/project/.python-version)
* 3.3.3 (set by /Users/yyuu/path/to/project/.python-version)
$ python --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python2.7 --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python3.3 --version
Python 3.3.3

or, if you prefer 3.3.3 over 2.7.6,

$ pyenv local 3.3.3 2.7.6
$ pyenv versions
  system
* 2.7.6 (set by /Users/yyuu/path/to/project/.python-version)
* 3.3.3 (set by /Users/yyuu/path/to/project/.python-version)
  venv27
$ python --version
Python 3.3.3
$ python2.7 --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python3.3 --version
Python 3.3.3

You can use the -f/--force flag to force setting versions even if some aren't installed. This is mainly useful in special cases like provisioning scripts.

`pyenv global`

Sets the global version of Python to be used in all shells by writing the version name to the ~/.pyenv/version file. This version can be overridden by an application-specific .python-version file, or by setting the PYENV_VERSION environment variable.

$ pyenv global 2.7.6

The special version name system tells pyenv to use the system Python (detected by searching your $PATH).

When run without a version number, pyenv global reports the currently configured global version.

`pyenv global` (advanced)

You can specify multiple versions as global Python at once.

Let's say if you have two versions of 2.7.6 and 3.3.3. If you prefer 2.7.6 over 3.3.3,

$ pyenv global 2.7.6 3.3.3
$ pyenv versions
  system
* 2.7.6 (set by /Users/yyuu/.pyenv/version)
* 3.3.3 (set by /Users/yyuu/.pyenv/version)
$ python --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python2.7 --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python3.3 --version
Python 3.3.3

or, if you prefer 3.3.3 over 2.7.6,

$ pyenv global 3.3.3 2.7.6
$ pyenv versions
  system
* 2.7.6 (set by /Users/yyuu/.pyenv/version)
* 3.3.3 (set by /Users/yyuu/.pyenv/version)
  venv27
$ python --version
Python 3.3.3
$ python2.7 --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python3.3 --version
Python 3.3.3

`pyenv shell`

Sets a shell-specific Python version by setting the PYENV_VERSION environment variable in your shell. This version overrides application-specific versions and the global version.

$ pyenv shell pypy-2.2.1

When run without a version number, pyenv shell reports the current value of PYENV_VERSION. You can also unset the shell version:

$ pyenv shell --unset

Note that you'll need pyenv's shell integration enabled (step 3 of the installation instructions) in order to use this command. If you prefer not to use shell integration, you may simply set the PYENV_VERSION variable yourself:

$ export PYENV_VERSION=pypy-2.2.1

`pyenv shell` (advanced)

You can specify multiple versions via PYENV_VERSION at once.

Let's say if you have two versions of 2.7.6 and 3.3.3. If you prefer 2.7.6 over 3.3.3,

$ pyenv shell 2.7.6 3.3.3
$ pyenv versions
  system
* 2.7.6 (set by PYENV_VERSION environment variable)
* 3.3.3 (set by PYENV_VERSION environment variable)
$ python --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python2.7 --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python3.3 --version
Python 3.3.3

or, if you prefer 3.3.3 over 2.7.6,

$ pyenv shell 3.3.3 2.7.6
$ pyenv versions
  system
* 2.7.6 (set by PYENV_VERSION environment variable)
* 3.3.3 (set by PYENV_VERSION environment variable)
  venv27
$ python --version
Python 3.3.3
$ python2.7 --version
Python 2.7.6
$ python3.3 --version
Python 3.3.3

`pyenv install`

Install a Python version (using python-build).

Usage: pyenv install [-f] [-kvp] <version>
       pyenv install [-f] [-kvp] <definition-file>
       pyenv install -l|--list

  -l/--list             List all available versions
  -f/--force            Install even if the version appears to be installed already
  -s/--skip-existing    Skip the installation if the version appears to be installed already

  python-build options:

  -k/--keep        Keep source tree in $PYENV_BUILD_ROOT after installation
                   (defaults to $PYENV_ROOT/sources)
  -v/--verbose     Verbose mode: print compilation status to stdout
  -p/--patch       Apply a patch from stdin before building
  -g/--debug       Build a debug version

To list the all available versions of Python, including Anaconda, Jython, pypy, and stackless, use:

$ pyenv install --list

Then install the desired versions:

$ pyenv install 2.7.6
$ pyenv install 2.6.8
$ pyenv versions
  system
  2.6.8
* 2.7.6 (set by /home/yyuu/.pyenv/version)

You can also install the latest version of Python in a specific version line by supplying a prefix instead of a complete name:

$ pyenv install 3.10

See the pyenv latest documentation for details on prefix resolution.

An older option is to use the :latest syntax. For example, to install the latest patch version for Python 3.8 you could do:

pyenv install 3.8:latest

To install the latest major release for Python 3 try:

pyenv install 3:latest

`pyenv uninstall`

Uninstall Python versions.

Usage: pyenv uninstall [-f|--force] <version> ...

   -f  Attempt to remove the specified version without prompting
       for confirmation. If the version does not exist, do not
       display an error message.

`pyenv rehash`

Installs shims for all Python binaries known to pyenv (i.e., ~/.pyenv/versions/*/bin/*). Run this command after you install a new version of Python, or install a package that provides binaries.

$ pyenv rehash

`pyenv version`

Displays the currently active Python version, along with information on how it was set.

Usage: pyenv version [--bare]

--bare    show just the version name. An alias to `pyenv version-name'


$ pyenv version
2.7.6 (set by /home/yyuu/.pyenv/version)
$ pyenv version --bare
2.7.6

`pyenv versions`

Lists all Python versions known to pyenv, and shows an asterisk next to the currently active version.

$ pyenv versions
  2.5.6
  2.6.8
* 2.7.6 (set by /home/yyuu/.pyenv/version)
  3.3.3
  jython-2.5.3
  pypy-2.2.1

`pyenv which`

Displays the full path to the executable that pyenv will invoke when you run the given command.

$ pyenv which python3.3
/home/yyuu/.pyenv/versions/3.3.3/bin/python3.3

Use --nosystem argument in case when you don't need to search command in the system environment.

`pyenv whence`

Lists all Python versions with the given command installed.

$ pyenv whence 2to3
2.6.8
2.7.6
3.3.3

`pyenv exec`

Usage: pyenv exec <command> [arg1 arg2...]

Runs an executable by first preparing PATH so that the selected Python version's bin directory is at the front.

For example, if the currently selected Python version is 3.9.7:

pyenv exec pip install -r requirements.txt

is equivalent to:

PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/versions/3.9.7/bin:$PATH" pip install -r requirements.txt

`pyenv root`

Displays the root directory where versions and shims are kept.

$ pyenv root
/home/user/.pyenv

`pyenv prefix`

Displays the directories where the given Python versions are installed, separated by colons. If no version is given, pyenv prefix displays the locations of the currently selected versions.

$ pyenv prefix 3.9.7
/home/user/.pyenv/versions/3.9.7

`pyenv latest`

Displays the latest installed or known version with the given prefix

Usage: pyenv latest [-k|--known] [-q|--quiet] <prefix>

 -k/--known      Select from all known versions instead of installed
 -q/--quiet      Do not print an error message on resolution failure

Only full prefixes are searched: in the actual name, the given prefix must be followed by a dot or a dash.

Prereleases and versions with specific suffixes (e.g. -src) are ignored.

`pyenv hooks`

Lists installed hook scripts for a given pyenv command.

Usage: pyenv hooks <command>

`pyenv shims`

List existing pyenv shims.

Usage: pyenv shims [--short]

$ pyenv shims
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/2to3
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/2to3-3.9
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/idle
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/idle3
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/idle3.9
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/pip
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/pip3
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/pip3.9
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/pydoc
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/pydoc3
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/pydoc3.9
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/python
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/python3
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/python3.9
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/python3.9-config
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/python3.9-gdb.py
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/python3-config
/home/user/.pyenv/shims/python-config

`pyenv init`

Configure the shell environment for pyenv

Usage: eval "$(pyenv init [-|--path] [--no-push-path] [--no-rehash] [<shell>])"

  -                    Initialize shims directory, print PYENV_SHELL variable, completions path
                       and shell function
  --path               Print shims path
  --no-push-path       Do not push shim to the start of PATH if they're already there
  --no-rehash          Add no rehash command to output

`pyenv completions`

Lists available completions for a given pyenv command.

Usage: pyenv completions <command> [arg1 arg2...]

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