[Wowfunhappy]

> Except when you try to move it, or copy it to a different location.

Or just, y'know, rename the containing folder. Because last night I liked the name `foo` but this morning I realized I preferred `bar`, and I completely forgot that I had some python stuff inside and now it doesn't work and I have to recreate the whole venv!

[riffraff]

Why does that break venv? I thought it'd be linking to things outside of itself but shouldn't be aware of where it is.

(Sorry, not a python expert)

[Doxin]

When creating the venv it hardcodes some paths so the python interpreter knows where to find its modules and the likes.

That said, re-creating a venv shouldn't be hard and if it is you're doing something wrong in your development setup.

[Wowfunhappy]

What am I doing wrong? As far as I can tell, I have to:

1. Copy my code out from the venv folder

2. Delete the venv folder

3. Make a new venv

4. Copy my code back into the new venv folder

5. Re-install dependencies

This doesn't take much longer than 60 seconds, but that's 55 seconds more than I want to spend. How is this a good process? It just makes me avoid using python (at least when I'd need anything outside the standard library).

Is there a simple command that will do this all for me?

Note that I don't typically have a git repository or similar set up because I use python for very simple semi-throw-away scripts. I just want to be able to rename the containing folder and have my script still work.

[Doxin]

Your code should not be inside the venv folder. For reference my projects usually look something like this:

     project
     ├─ venv
     |  ╰─ ...
     ├─ pyproject.toml
     ╰─ project
        ├─ __init__.py
        ├─ __main__.py
        ╰─ app.py

Which means recreating the venv is as easy at removing the venv folder, creating a new venv, and running `pip install -e .` when using pyproject.toml or `pip install -r requirements.tx` when using a requirements file.

This of course doesn't quite solve the moving the folder issue, for which unfortunately there isn't an amazing solution currently. One thing you can do is have the venv somewhere else entirely, That way you can keep the venv in a fixed place so it doesn't break but still move the code to wherever you want to put it. In the use-case for tiny scripts like you do you might be better served not using a venv, and just using `pip install --local` for all your packages. Which is a bit messy but has served me for years and years before I landed on the pattern I use now.

Another "unfortunately" is that none of this stuff is documented very well. Writing a working pyproject.toml for example requires switching between the PEP introducing them, the pip documentation, and the setuptools documentation.

[TheRealPomax]

The frustration is more than real.