VenviPy

A GUI for managing multiple Python virtual environments

Introduction

VenviPy is a desktop GUI to create, manage, and maintain many Python virtual environments from one place. It focuses on a fast, practical workflow:

• create environments via a wizard (Python version, location, pre-install packages)
• keep an overview table of all environments in a directory
• manage multiple environments at the same time with tabs
• install / update / inspect packages with context-menu actions
• open a console in the environment's context with one click

VenviPy was originally built for *NIX systems. Windows support exists via a platform abstraction layer, but should currently be considered experimental.

Screenshots

Main menu

Wizard

Package installer

Console output

Key Features

Environment management

• Create virtual environments with a selectable Python version (3.3+)
• Clone an environment from a requirements file
• Generate requirements from an existing environment
• Add a description to an environment

Package management

• Install and update Pip and Wheel with one click
• Search and install packages from PyPI
• Install from requirements files
• Install from local project directories
• Install from a VCS URL (currently git only)
• Install from local or remote source archives

Inspection & tooling

• List detailed information about installed packages
• Open a project's PyPI page in your browser

Launcher integration

• Create or remove Desktop and Startmenu launchers from within the app

Roadmap ideas

• Clone environments, created by non-installed Python versions and has no requirements file
• Run scripts in the environment's context
• Run VenviPy or the Wizard only from context menu in file explorer/desktop

More to come.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+ (PyQt6 6.10.2 requires Python >= 3.7)
• A working venv module for the Python versions you want to use

Quick start

If you already have Python and pip available, this is the fastest path:

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # Windows (PowerShell): .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install -U pip
pip install venvipy
venvipy

For full setup details and platform-specific notes, continue below.

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

Install the basics:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pip python3-venv

If you want to create venvs for a specific Python version, install its -venv package as well (example for Python 3.10):

sudo apt install python3.10-venv

Windows

Install Python from python.org and make sure it is on PATH. No additional system packages are required.

Installation

Installing into the system Python is discouraged. Use a dedicated venv (recommended) or pipx.

Recommended: install into a venv

python -m venv .venv

# on Linux/macOS:
source .venv/bin/activate

# on Windows (PowerShell):
# .venv\\Scripts\\Activate.ps1

pip install -U pip
pip install venvipy

Development version (GitHub):

pip install -U pip
pip install git+https://github.com/sinusphi/venvipy.git

Alternative: install with pipx

pipx install venvipy

Usage

After installation you get the entry point:

venvipy

For command line options run:

venvipy --help

Running from source

Clone and install dependencies:

git clone --depth 50 https://github.com/sinusphi/venvipy.git
cd venvipy
python -m venv .venv

# on Linux/macOS:
source .venv/bin/activate

# on Windows (PowerShell):
# .venv\\Scripts\\Activate.ps1

pip install -U pip

# minimal requirements to run VenviPy
pip install -r requirements/base.txt

# for development and testing
pip install -r requirements/dev.txt

# deployment and build dependencies
pip install -r requirements/deploy.txt

If you prefer a minimal manual install:

pip install requests beautifulsoup4 PyQt6==6.10.2

Run:

python venvipy/venvi.py

Contributing

Contributions are welcome:

• Pull requests
• Bug reports
• Feature requests