So, I have a python script I’d like to run from time to time from the CLI (on Linux) that resides inside a venv. What’s the recommended/intended way to do this?
Write a wrapper shell script and put it inside a $PATH-accessible directory that activates the virtual environment, runs the python script and deactivates the venv again? This seems a bit convoluted, but I can’t think of a better way.

  • Andy
    2·
    4 months ago

    Thanks, yes, I use nox and github actions for automated environments and testing in my own projects, and tox instead of nox when it’s someone else’s project. But for ad hoc, local and interactive multiple environments, I don’t.

    • logging_strict
      1·
      2 days ago

      Are you using github actions locally? Feel silly making gh actions and workflows and only github runs them

      • Andy
        1·
        2 days ago

        No, I don’t use GHA locally, but the actions are defined to run the same things that I do run locally (e.g. invoke nox). I try to keep the GHA-exclusive boilerplate to a minimum. Steps can be like:

        - name: fetch code
  uses: actions/checkout@v4

- uses: actions/setup-python@v5
  with:
    allow-prereleases: true
    python-version: |
      3.13
      3.12
      3.11
      3.10
      3.9
      3.8
      3.7

- run: pipx install nox

- name: run ward tests in nox environment
  run: nox -s test test_without_toml combine_coverage --force-color
  env:
    PYTHONIOENCODING: utf-8

- name: upload coverage data
  uses: codecov/codecov-action@v4
  with:
    files: ./coverage.json
    token: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}

        Sometimes if I want a higher level interface to tasks that run nox or other things locally, I use taskipy to define them in my pyproject.toml, like:

        [tool.taskipy.tasks]
fmt = "nox -s fmt"
lock = "nox -s lock"
test = "nox -s test test_without_toml typecheck -p 3.12"
docs = "nox -s render_readme render_api_docs"
        • logging_strict
          1·
          7 hours ago

          Thanks for the introduction to taskipy. Think if i need macros, Makefile is the way to go. Supports running targets in parallel and i like performing a check to ensure the virtual environment is activated or the command won’t run.

          .ONESHELL:
.DEFAULT_GOAL := help
SHELL := /bin/bash
APP_NAME := logging_strict

#virtual environment. If 0 issue warning
#Not activated:0
#activated: 1
ifeq ($(VIRTUAL_ENV),)
$(warning virtualenv not activated)
is_venv =
else
is_venv = 1
VENV_BIN := $(VIRTUAL_ENV)/bin
VENV_BIN_PYTHON := python3
PY_X_Y := $(shell $(VENV_BIN_PYTHON) -c 'import platform; t_ver = platform.python_version_tuple(); print(".".join(t_ver[:2]));')
endif

.PHONY: mypy
mypy:					## Static type checker (in strict mode)
ifeq ($(is_venv),1)
	@$(VENV_BIN_PYTHON) -m mypy -p $(APP_NAME)
endif

          make mypy without the virtualenv on will write a warning message why it’s not working!

          • Andy
            1·
            3 hours ago

            Sure, but nox is the closer counterpart for in-venv-task definitions. List “sessions” with -l, pick specific sessions to run with -s.

            import nox
from nox.sessions import Session

nox.options.reuse_existing_virtualenvs = True
APP_NAME = 'logging_strict'

@nox.session(python='3.12')
def mypy(session: Session):
    """Static type checker (in strict mode)"""
    session.install('-U', 'mypy', '.')
    session.run('mypy',  '-p', APP_NAME, *session.posargs)

            Unfortunately it doesn’t currently do any parallel runs, but if anyone wants to track/encourage/contribute in that regard, see nox#544.