Setting Up a Python Development Environment with Pyenv and Anaconda

In Python development, managing different Python versions and libraries for each project is very important. This article explains how to build a flexible and efficient Python development environment by combining pyenv and Anaconda.

1. Installing Homebrew

What is Homebrew?

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS (and Linux). It allows you to easily install, update, and uninstall software from the command line.

Installation Method

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run the following script:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   

3. Installation is complete when Installation Successful is displayed.

Basic Usage

• brew update: Update Homebrew’s package list.
• brew upgrade: Upgrade installed packages to the latest version.
• brew list: Display a list of installed packages.
• brew install [package name]: Install the specified package.
• brew uninstall [package name]: Uninstall the specified package.
• brew info [package name]: Display detailed information about the specified package.

2. Installing pyenv

What is pyenv?

pyenv is a Python version management tool that allows you to install multiple Python versions on your system and easily switch between them on a per-project or per-directory basis. This avoids version conflicts between different projects.

Installation Method

1. Install pyenv using Homebrew:

   brew install pyenv
   

2. Set environment variables and load the pyenv initialization script into your shell:

   echo 'export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"' >> ~/.bash_profile
   echo 'export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile
   echo 'eval "$(pyenv init --path)"' >> ~/.bash_profile # Adds pyenv's executable path to environment variables.
   echo 'eval "$(pyenv init -)"' >> ~/.bash_profile # Runs the initialization script to enable pyenv commands.
   

   • ~/.bash_profile: A configuration file automatically loaded when the Bash shell starts.
   • export PATH="...": Adds pyenv’s binary directory to the executable search path.
   • eval "$(pyenv init -)": Runs the initialization script to enable pyenv commands.

   Note: If you are using Zsh, add these to ~/.zshrc; for Fish, add them to ~/.config/fish/config.fish. To apply the changes, restart your terminal or run source ~/.bash_profile (or the applicable configuration file).

3. Installing Anaconda

What is Anaconda?

Anaconda is a Python distribution specialized for data science and machine learning. In addition to Python itself, many scientific computing libraries and tools such as NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn, and Jupyter Notebook are pre-packaged, significantly reducing the effort needed for environment setup.

Installation Method

1. Search for Anaconda versions available for installation through pyenv:

   pyenv install -l | grep anaconda
   

   Example output:

   anaconda-1.4.0
   ...
   anaconda3-5.3.1
   ...
   

   The grep command filters lines containing “anaconda” from the output of pyenv install -l piped through |.

2. Install the Anaconda version corresponding to the latest Python 3 (e.g., anaconda3-5.3.1):

   pyenv install anaconda3-5.3.1
   

   Installation may take some time.

3. Set the installed Anaconda environment to be used globally (system-wide):

   pyenv global anaconda3-5.3.1
   

   This makes the Anaconda environment the default when opening a terminal. If you want to use it only in a specific project, run pyenv local anaconda3-5.3.1 in that directory.

With these steps, you have a development environment that integrates Python version management through pyenv with Anaconda’s rich library collection.