# phpman > man > virtualenv(1)

> **TLDR:** Create virtual isolated Python environments.
>
- Create a new environment:
  `virtualenv {{path/to/venv}}`
- Customize the prompt prefix:
  `virtualenv --prompt {{prompt_prefix}} {{path/to/venv}}`
- Use a different version of Python with virtualenv:
  `virtualenv {{-p|--python}} {{path/to/pythonbin}} {{path/to/venv}}`
- Start (select) the environment:
  `source {{path/to/venv}}/bin/activate`
- Stop the environment:
  `deactivate`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

[VIRTUALENV(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/VIRTUALENV/1/markdown)                          General Commands Manual                         [VIRTUALENV(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/VIRTUALENV/1/markdown)



## NAME
       **virtualenv** - Python virtual environment creator

## SYNOPSIS
       **virtualenv**  **[--version]** **[--with-traceback]** **[-v** **|** **-q]** [--app-data APP_DATA] [--clear-app-data]
       [--discovery  {builtin}]  [-p   py]   [--creator   {builtin,cpython3-posix,venv}]   [--seeder
       {app-data,pip}]  [--no-seed] [--activators comma_sep_list] [--clear] [--system-site-packages]
       [--symlinks | **--copies]** [--no-download | **--download]** [--extra-search-dir d  [d  ...]]  [--pip
       version]  [--setuptools  version] [--wheel version] [--no-pip] [--no-setuptools] [--no-wheel]
       [--symlink-app-data] [--prompt prompt] [-h] dest


## DESCRIPTION
       The virtualenv utility creates virtual Python instances, each invokable  with its own  Python
       executable.   Each instance can have different sets of modules, installable via easy_install.
       Virtual Python instances can  also be created without root access.


### optional arguments:
### --version
              display the version of the virtualenv package and it's location, then exit

### --with-traceback
              on failure also display the stacktrace internals of virtualenv (default: False)

       **--app-data** APP_DATA
              a data folder used as cache by the virtualenv (default: <temp folder>)

### --clear-app-data
              start with empty app data folder (default: False)

### -h --help
              show this help message and exit

### verbosity:
              verbosity = verbose - quiet, default INFO, mapping => CRITICAL=0, ERROR=1,  WARNING=2,
              INFO=3, DEBUG=4, NOTSET=5

### -v --verbose
              increase verbosity (default: 2)

### -q --quiet
              decrease verbosity (default: 0)

### discovery:
              discover and provide a target interpreter

       **--discovery** {builtin}
              interpreter discovery method (default: builtin)

### -p --python
              target  interpreter  for which to create a virtual (either absolute path or identifier
              string) (default: _/usr/bin/python3_)

### creator:
              options for creator builtin

       **--creator** {builtin,cpython3-posix,venv}
              create environment via (builtin = cpython3-posix) (default: builtin)

       dest   directory to create virtualenv at

### --clear
              remove the destination directory if exist before starting (will overwrite files other‐
              wise) (default: False)

### --system-site-packages
              give the virtual environment access to the system site-packages dir (default: False)

### --symlinks
              try  to  use  symlinks  rather  than copies, when symlinks are not the default for the
              platform (default: True)

       **--copies**, **--always-copy**
              try to use copies rather than symlinks, even when symlinks are  the  default  for  the
              platform (default: False)

### seeder:
              options for seeder app-data

       **--seeder** {app-data,pip}
              seed packages install method (default: app-data)

       **--no-seed**, **--without-pip**
              do not install seed packages (default: False)

### --download
              pass  to  enable download of the latest pip, setuptools, and wheel from PyPI (default:
              False)

       **--no-download**, **--never-download**
              pass to disable download of the latest pip, setuptools, and wheel from PyPI  (default:
              True)

       **--extra-search-dir** d [d ...]
              a  path containing wheels the seeder may also use beside bundled (can be set 1+ times)
              (default: [])

       **--pip** version
              pip version to install, bundle for bundled (default: latest)

       **--setuptools** version
              setuptools version to install, bundle for bundled (default: latest)

       **--wheel** version
              wheel version to install, bundle for bundled (default: latest)

### --no-pip
              do not install pip (default: False)

### --no-setuptools
              do not install setuptools (default: False)

### --no-wheel
              do not install wheel (default: False)

### --symlink-app-data
              symlink the python packages from the app-data folder (requires  seed  pip>=19.3)  (de‐
              fault: False)

### activators:
              options for activation scripts

       **--activators** comma_sep_list
              activators  to  generate  - default is all supported (default: bash,cshell,fish,power‐
              shell,python,xonsh)

       **--prompt** prompt
              provides an alternative prompt prefix for this environment (default: None)

       config file  $HOME/.config/virtualenv/virtualenv.ini  (change  via  env  var  VIRTUALENV_CON‐
       FIG_FILE)

## AUTHORS
       This  man-page  was created using help2man and then updated by Scott Kitterman <scott@kitter‐
       man.com> and is licensed under the same terms as virtualenv.



                                                                                       [VIRTUALENV(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/VIRTUALENV/1/markdown)