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How to use a python virtualenv with sudo?

rated 0 times [ 90] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 79627 / 2 Years ago, sun, december 12, 2021, 11:42:15

I am trying to make a python environment separate from the system one (using virtualenv) in a directory which is not under /home, because I need to use it to build other software that has to be accessible to multiple users. I can create and activate the virtualenv all right, but when I sudo some command (for example to make or compile other software), it is the system python that is used (I can tell because of the available modules).

Since on Ubuntu it is not a good thing to use the root user, is there a way to tell sudo to use a virtualenv? Or maybe this is not the correct approach, and I should make a completely new python installation?

I am using the 64bit version of Ubuntu 12.04 (and python 2.7).

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suitman

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3 Years ago

answered 2 Years ago tiowift · Accepted Answer

The issue is almost certainly that when you run sudo, the virtualenv environment variables, aliases, functions, etc aren't being carried over.

The solution would be to explicitly run the virtual environment's Python executable with sudo. For example if your virtualenv is ./AwesomeProject, then you could run sudo ./AwesomeProject/bin/python <script> to use the script with the virtualenv with root privileges.