Issue
I have a directory accessible from multiple Linux machines on the same network (the precise terminology for this is a directory on a "mounted network drive", right?), within which I have a python virtual environment, made with python3 -m venv venv.
I've tried checking the python version from a few of the machines using this:
$ . venv/bin/activate
$ python --version
and I get back different versions depending on what machine it is. Some show 3.8.5, some 3.8.10. I believe I've figured out that this is because the "interpreter" in the venv is really a link to the interpreter in /usr/bin, which is machine-specific:
$ ls -lah ./venv/bin/ | grep python
lrwxrwxrwx 1 echols14 cs236ta 7 Sep 29 02:08 python -> python3
lrwxrwxrwx 1 echols14 cs236ta 16 Sep 29 02:08 python3 -> /usr/bin/python3
When I take a look at the contents of /usr/bin, it seems like there are more things there relating to python than just the single interpreter file python3.8:
$ ls -lah /usr/bin | grep python
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2.3K Jun 20 2017 dh_python3-ply
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 23 Sep 28 16:10 pdb3.8 -> ../lib/python3.8/pdb.py
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 31 Mar 13 2020 py3versions -> ../share/python3/py3versions.py
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Mar 13 2020 python3 -> python3.8
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 5.3M Sep 28 16:10 python3.8
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 33 Sep 28 16:10 python3.8-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.8-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 16 Mar 13 2020 python3-config -> python3.8-config
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 364 Dec 17 2019 python3-qr
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3.2K Sep 28 16:10 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.8-config
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 33 Mar 13 2020 x86_64-linux-gnu-python3-config -> x86_64-linux-gnu-python3.8-config
I'd like the venv to use the same python version regardless of which machine it is used from. Is that possible?
My first thought is to copy the python3.8 file from one machine's /usr/bin and place it in the venv's bin, then adjust the links so that it is the one that gets used when the venv is activated. Would I need to copy other python-related files from /usr/bin for it to function? Is this method safe, or should it be avoided for some reason?
If that method is not a good idea, what other way could I get the shared venv to always use the same version of python, regardless of the machine?
NOTE: I don't have root/sudo permissions on all machines in question, but I do have root/sudo permissions on one of the machines.
Solution
Found it. When creating the virtual environment, use the --copies option:
--copies Try to use copies rather than symlinks, even when symlinks are the default for the platform
Which looks like this:
python3 -m venv --copies venv
And results in this:
$ ls -lah venv/bin/ | grep python
-rwxr-xr-x 1 echols14 cs236ta 5.3M Oct 7 18:26 python
-rwxr-xr-x 1 echols14 cs236ta 5.3M Oct 7 18:26 python3
Answered By - rkechols