Include `bin/uv` in `uv venv`

[gotmax23]

• A minimal code snippet that reproduces the bug.

  $ uv venv venv
  $ ./venv/bin/uv install ipython
  no such file or directory: ./venv/bin/uv
  

• The current uv platform.

  Fedora 40 with Python 3.12

• The current uv version (uv --version).

  0.2.35

It would be great if a uv binary was included in virtual environments' bin directories so it would be possible to install packages inside using uv without having to activate the venv, similar to how standard virtual environments' pip entrypoints work.

[charliermarsh]

You can pass --python .venv to install into that environment -- uv doesn't need to be installed inside it.

[zanieb]

e.g.

❯ uv venv venv
Using Python 3.12.1
Creating virtualenv at: venv
Activate with: source venv/bin/activate
❯ uv pip install httpx --python ./venv
Resolved 7 packages in 207ms
Installed 7 packages in 17ms
 + anyio==4.4.0
 + certifi==2024.7.4
 + h11==0.14.0
 + httpcore==1.0.5
 + httpx==0.27.0
 + idna==3.7
 + sniffio==1.3.1

or

❯ VIRTUAL_ENV=venv uv pip install httpx
Audited 1 package in 4ms

[gotmax23]

I didn't know that --python could be used like this; thanks. I guess I'm just really used to invoking pip like this in scripts, but I could always adapt...

[paveldikov]

This sort of relates to the --seed option although it's kind of obscure (and a compatibility shim?) I suppose. Its existence probably steers people from discovering the --python pattern -- it took me some time before I had the same a-ha moment.

[nixshal]

This sort of relates to the --seed option although it's kind of obscure (and a compatibility shim?) I suppose. Its existence probably steers people from discovering the --python pattern -- it took me some time before I had the same a-ha moment.

Same here.

❯ uv venv venv
Using Python 3.12.1
Creating virtualenv at: venv
Activate with: source venv/bin/activate
❯ uv pip install httpx --python ./venv

Is this trick not included in the docs for any specific reason?

[zanieb]

It's sort of mentioned in https://docs.astral.sh/uv/concepts/python-versions/#requesting-a-version — we could add a note where you linked but it's not mentioned there because that section is about using the packages in the environment — not installing things into it. I can look into clarifying it though.

[nixshal]

Thank you @zanieb .

I do think the mistake is on my side, I was using uv by invoking uv via Python (using the parent interpreter's environment).

Installing uv via the standalone installer fixed my issues here and I was able to follow the docs; turns out it was a powershell elevated access setting I needed to fix in order to get the standalone installer working.