pipenv: pipenv does not use default python version under pyenv

Issue description

The pipenv documentation states this:

If you don’t specify a Python version on the command–line, either the [requires] python_full_version or python_version will be selected automatically, falling back to whatever your system’s default python installation is, at time of execution.

However with 2020.06.02 I’m seeing pipenv choose the most recent pyenv installed python rather than the one that’s current the default when I run pipenv install.

Expected result

Python version is 3.7.7 as set by .python-version via pyenv. I’ve verified that pipenv is installed and running from 3.7.7. I start a new project with pipenv install and I expect to see a virtual environment created with Python version 3.7.7.

artlogic@wardenclyffe:~/Code/random/pipenv-again$ python -V
Python 3.7.7
artlogic@wardenclyffe:~/Code/random/pipenv-again$ pipenv --support
<details><summary>$ pipenv --support</summary>

Pipenv version: `'2020.6.2'`

Pipenv location: `'/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/lib/python3.7/site-packages/pipenv'`

Python location: `'/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/bin/python3.7'`

Actual result

pipenv uses a different pyenv installed python to create the venv:

artlogic@wardenclyffe:~/Code/random/pipenv-again$ pipenv install -v requests
Using python: None
Path to python: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.8.2/bin/python3
Creating a virtualenv for this project…
Pipfile: /home/artlogic/Code/random/pipenv-again/Pipfile
Using /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.8.2/bin/python3 (3.8.2) to create virtualenv…

Steps to replicate

Install two versions of python using pyenv (3.7.7 and 3.8.3).
Make a project directory and type: pyenv local 3.7.7 (verify you’re now using 3.7.7)
Install pipenv: pip install pipenv
Install a dependency: pipenv install requests
Watch the virtualenv get created with 3.8.3.

$ pipenv --support

Pipenv version: '2020.6.2'

Pipenv location: '/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/lib/python3.7/site-packages/pipenv'

Python location: '/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/bin/python3.7'

Python installations found:

3.8.2: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.8.2/bin/python3
3.7.7: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/bin/python3
3.7.7: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/bin/python3.7m
3.7.7: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/bin/python3.7
3.7.7: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/bin/python3
3.7.5: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.5/bin/python3
3.7.4: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.4/bin/python3
3.7.3: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.3/bin/python3
3.7.2: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.2/bin/python3
3.7.0: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.0/bin/python3
3.6.3: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.6.3/bin/python3
3.6.1: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.6.1/bin/python3
3.5.4: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.5.4/bin/python3
3.5.3: /usr/bin/python3
3.5.3: /usr/bin/python3.5
3.5.3: /usr/bin/python3.5m
2.7.15: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/2.7.15/bin/python2
2.7.14: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/2.7.14/bin/python2
2.7.13: /usr/bin/python2
2.7.13: /usr/bin/python2.7

PEP 508 Information:

{'implementation_name': 'cpython',
 'implementation_version': '3.7.7',
 'os_name': 'posix',
 'platform_machine': 'x86_64',
 'platform_python_implementation': 'CPython',
 'platform_release': '4.9.0-12-amd64',
 'platform_system': 'Linux',
 'platform_version': '#1 SMP Debian 4.9.210-1 (2020-01-20)',
 'python_full_version': '3.7.7',
 'python_version': '3.7',
 'sys_platform': 'linux'}

System environment variables:

CLUTTER_IM_MODULE
PIPENV_VENV_IN_PROJECT
NVM_DIR
LS_COLORS
XDG_MENU_PREFIX
LANG
GDM_LANG
DISPLAY
PYENV_ROOT
OLDPWD
COLORTERM
NVM_CD_FLAGS
USERNAME
PYENV_VIRTUALENV_INIT
PYENV_HOOK_PATH
XDG_VTNR
SSH_AUTH_SOCK
XDG_SESSION_ID
USER
PYENV_DIR
DESKTOP_SESSION
RBENV_SHELL
QT4_IM_MODULE
QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME
PWD
HOME
JOURNAL_STREAM
SSH_AGENT_PID
PYENV_VERSION
QT_ACCESSIBILITY
XDG_SESSION_TYPE
XDG_DATA_DIRS
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
GJS_DEBUG_OUTPUT
GTK_MODULES
WINDOWPATH
VTE_VERSION
TERM
SHELL
RBENV_ROOT
QT_IM_MODULE
XMODIFIERS
NVM_BIN
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
GPG_AGENT_INFO
QT_LINUX_ACCESSIBILITY_ALWAYS_ON
XDG_SEAT
SHLVL
PYENV_SHELL
WINDOWID
GDMSESSION
GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID
LOGNAME
DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
XAUTHORITY
PATH
NVM_INC
GJS_DEBUG_TOPICS
SESSION_MANAGER
GTK_IM_MODULE
PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK
PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE
PIP_SHIMS_BASE_MODULE
PIP_PYTHON_PATH
PYTHONFINDER_IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED

Pipenv–specific environment variables:

PIPENV_VENV_IN_PROJECT: 1

Debug–specific environment variables:

PATH: /home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/versions/3.7.7/bin:/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/libexec:/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/plugins/python-build/bin:/home/artlogic/.rbenv/root/shims:/home/artlogic/.rbenv/root/bin:/home/artlogic/.rbenv/ruby-build/bin:/home/artlogic/.pyenv/pyenv-virtualenv/shims:/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/shims:/home/artlogic/.pyenv/root/bin:/home/artlogic/.pyenv/pyenv-virtualenv/bin:/home/artlogic/.dotfiles/config/.nvm/versions/node/v12.16.3/bin:/home/artlogic/.cargo/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games
SHELL: /bin/bash
LANG: en_US.UTF-8
PWD: /home/artlogic/Code/random/pipenv-again

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 4 years ago
Reactions: 12
Comments: 16 (4 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

Yes, Pipenv uses a different finding approach that the highest version goes first. You can anyway pass the python version by pipenv install --python=3.7.

Please change this behaviour. It is very unexpected. When you specify --python 3.8 it can happen on MacOS, that it uses 3.8.4 from homebrew instead of the 3.8.3 from pyenv. Pyenv can lag a bit, but homebrew changes the default python version and removes the previous one without any warning, which is why many of us use pyenv, so they have control over the versions installed and know when to update virtualenvs at their own pace.

It also goes against the notion of python3.8 -m <module> where one expects the module to use the python version of that it is installed in. It technically does, but it’s unexpected that it switches versions for virtual env selection.

Last but not least, pinning my Pipfile to a version gets trickled to source repositories, which then trickles to CI/CD pipefiles and complicates that workflow, when a CI tests against multiple python versions. One normally would use pipenv --deploy, but that won’t work if Pipfile is pinned against a specific version.

ghost on Jul 21, 2020

I’m curious to know how you’ve install pipenv? From their documentation, it is NOT recommended that you use an external package manager such as Homebrew, but instead to use pipx. This is further complicated with the use of virtual environments. The way I got this to work is:

Installed my virtual environments using pyenv.
Integrated pyenv into my shell RC script.
Set my pyenv global X.Y to point to the correct python version.
pip install --user pipx
python -m pipx ensurepath <- we can’t yet reference pipx from our $PATH until we run this.
pipx install pipenv <- you’ll need to run this for every virtual environment you need pipenv support.

xirkus on Feb 15, 2021

Would you accept a PR to update the docs for the time being?

This does feel like a bit of a UX regression to me. I found it very unexpected that pipenv chose a python that wasn’t my current default to make the virtualenv. If you wouldn’t mind, what’s the rationale behind this change?

artlogic on Jun 15, 2020

I recognize this frustration, however, I worked around it by having alias pipenv='pipenv --python=$(which python)' in my profile, as the PIPENV_DEFAULT_PYTHON_VERSION was not respected all of the time.

wmkuipers on Feb 3, 2021