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# Changes & News

Warning

Python bugfix releases 2.6.8, 2.7.3, 3.1.5 and 3.2.3 include a change that will cause “import random” to fail with “cannot import name urandom” on any virtualenv created on a Unix host with an earlier release of Python 2.6/2.7/3.1/3.2, if the underlying system Python is upgraded. This is due to the fact that a virtualenv uses the system Python’s standard library but contains its own copy of the Python interpreter, so an upgrade to the system Python results in a mismatch between the version of the Python interpreter and the version of the standard library. It can be fixed by removing `$ENV/bin/python` and re-running virtualenv on the same target directory with the upgraded Python.

## 1.10.1 (2013-08-07)

- New Signing Key Release 1.10.1 is using a different key than normal with fingerprint: 7C6B 7C5D 5E2B 6356 A926 F04F 6E3C BCE9 3372 DCFA
- Upgraded pip to v1.4.1
- Upgraded setuptools to v0.9.8

## 1.10 (2013-07-23)

- BACKWARDS INCOMPATIBLE Dropped support for Python 2.5. The minimum supported Python version is now Python 2.6.

- BACKWARDS INCOMPATIBLE Using `virtualenv.py` as an isolated script (i.e. without an associated `virtualenv_support` directory) is no longer supported for security reasons and will fail with an error.

  Along with this, `--never-download` is now always pinned to `True`, and is only being maintained in the short term for backward compatibility (Pull #412).

- IMPORTANT Switched to the new setuptools (v0.9.7) which has been merged with Distribute again and works for Python 2 and 3 with one codebase. The `--distribute` and `--setuptools` options are now no-op.

- Updated to pip 1.4.

- Added support for PyPy3k

- Added the option to use a version number with the `-p` option to get the system copy of that Python version (Windows only)

- Removed embedded `ez_setup.py`, `distribute_setup.py` and `distribute_from_egg.py` files as part of switching to merged setuptools.

- Fixed `--relocatable` to work better on Windows.

- Fixed issue with readline on Windows.

## 1.9.1 (2013-03-08)

- Updated to pip 1.3.1 that fixed a major backward incompatible change of parsing URLs to externally hosted packages that got accidentily included in pip 1.3.

## 1.9 (2013-03-07)

- Unset VIRTUAL_ENV environment variable in deactivate.bat (Pull #364)
- Upgraded distribute to 0.6.34.
- Added `--no-setuptools` and `--no-pip` options (Pull #336).
- Fixed Issue #373. virtualenv-1.8.4 was failing in cygwin (Pull #382).
- Fixed Issue #378. virtualenv is now “multiarch” aware on debian/ubuntu (Pull #379).
- Fixed issue with readline module path on pypy and OSX (Pull #374).
- Made 64bit detection compatible with Python 2.5 (Pull #393).

## 1.8.4 (2012-11-25)

- Updated distribute to 0.6.31. This fixes #359 (numpy install regression) on UTF-8 platforms, and provides a workaround on other platforms: `PYTHONIOENCODING=utf8 pip install numpy`.
- When installing virtualenv via curl, don’t forget to filter out arguments the distribute setup script won’t understand. Fixes #358.
- Added some more integration tests.
- Removed the unsupported embedded setuptools egg for Python 2.4 to reduce file size.

## 1.8.3 (2012-11-21)

- Fixed readline on OS X. Thanks minrk
- Updated distribute to 0.6.30 (improves our error reporting, plus new distribute features and fixes). Thanks Gabriel (g2p)
- Added compatibility with multiarch Python (Python 3.3 for example). Added an integration test. Thanks Gabriel (g2p)
- Added ability to install distribute from a user-provided egg, rather than the bundled sdist, for better speed. Thanks Paul Moore.
- Make the creation of lib64 symlink smarter about already-existing symlink, and more explicit about full paths. Fixes #334 and #330. Thanks Jeremy Orem.
- Give lib64 site-dir preference over lib on 64-bit systems, to avoid wrong 32-bit compiles in the venv. Fixes #328. Thanks Damien Nozay.
- Fix a bug with prompt-handling in `activate.csh` in non-interactive csh shells. Fixes #332. Thanks Benjamin Root for report and patch.
- Make it possible to create a virtualenv from within a Python 3.3. pyvenv. Thanks Chris McDonough for the report.
- Add optional –setuptools option to be able to switch to it in case distribute is the default (like in Debian).

## 1.8.2 (2012-09-06)

- Updated the included pip version to 1.2.1 to fix regressions introduced there in 1.2.

## 1.8.1 (2012-09-03)

- Fixed distribute version used with –never-download. Thanks michr for report and patch.
- Fix creating Python 3.3 based virtualenvs by unsetting the `__PYVENV_LAUNCHER__` environment variable in subprocesses.

## 1.8 (2012-09-01)

- Dropped support for Python 2.4 The minimum supported Python version is now Python 2.5.
- Fix –relocatable on systems that use lib64. Fixes #78. Thanks Branden Rolston.
- Symlink some additional modules under Python 3. Fixes #194. Thanks Vinay Sajip, Ian Clelland, and Stefan Holek for the report.
- Fix `--relocatable` when a script uses `__future__` imports. Thanks Branden Rolston.
- Fix a bug in the config option parser that prevented setting negative options with environemnt variables. Thanks Ralf Schmitt.
- Allow setting `--no-site-packages` from the config file.
- Use `/usr/bin/multiarch-platform` if available to figure out the include directory. Thanks for the patch, Mika Laitio.
- Fix `install_name_tool` replacement to work on Python 3.X.
- Handle paths of users’ site-packages on Mac OS X correctly when changing the prefix.
- Updated the embedded version of distribute to 0.6.28 and pip to 1.2.

## 1.7.2 (2012-06-22)

- Updated to distribute 0.6.27.
- Fix activate.fish on OS X. Fixes #8. Thanks David Schoonover.
- Create a virtualenv-x.x script with the Python version when installing, so virtualenv for multiple Python versions can be installed to the same script location. Thanks Miki Tebeka.
- Restored ability to create a virtualenv with a path longer than 78 characters, without breaking creation of virtualenvs with non-ASCII paths. Thanks, Bradley Ayers.
- Added ability to create virtualenvs without having installed Apple’s developers tools (using an own implementation of `install_name_tool`). Thanks Mike Hommey.
- Fixed PyPy and Jython support on Windows. Thanks Konstantin Zemlyak.
- Added pydoc script to ease use. Thanks Marc Abramowitz. Fixes #149.
- Fixed creating a bootstrap script on Python 3. Thanks Raul Leal. Fixes #280.
- Fixed inconsistency when having set the `PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE` env var with the –distribute option or the `VIRTUALENV_USE_DISTRIBUTE` env var. `VIRTUALENV_USE_DISTRIBUTE` is now considered again as a legacy alias.

## 1.7.1.2 (2012-02-17)

- Fixed minor issue in –relocatable. Thanks, Cap Petschulat.

## 1.7.1.1 (2012-02-16)

- Bumped the version string in `virtualenv.py` up, too.
- Fixed rST rendering bug of long description.

## 1.7.1 (2012-02-16)

- Update embedded pip to version 1.1.
- Fix –relocatable under Python 3. Thanks Doug Hellmann.
- Added environ PATH modification to activate_this.py. Thanks Doug Napoleone. Fixes #14.
- Support creating virtualenvs directly from a Python build directory on Windows. Thanks CBWhiz. Fixes #139.
- Use non-recursive symlinks to fix things up for posix_local install scheme. Thanks michr.
- Made activate script available for use with msys and cygwin on Windows. Thanks Greg Haskins, Cliff Xuan, Jonathan Griffin and Doug Napoleone. Fixes #176.
- Fixed creation of virtualenvs on Windows when Python is not installed for all users. Thanks Anatoly Techtonik for report and patch and Doug Napoleone for testing and confirmation. Fixes #87.
- Fixed creation of virtualenvs using -p in installs where some modules that ought to be in the standard library (e.g. readline) are actually installed in site-packages next to virtualenv.py. Thanks Greg Haskins for report and fix. Fixes #167.
- Added activation script for Powershell (signed by Jannis Leidel). Many thanks to Jason R. Coombs.

## 1.7 (2011-11-30)

- Gave user-provided `--extra-search-dir` priority over default dirs for finding setuptools/distribute (it already had priority for finding pip). Thanks Ethan Jucovy.
- Updated embedded Distribute release to 0.6.24. Thanks Alex Gronholm.
- Made `--no-site-packages` behavior the default behavior. The `--no-site-packages` flag is still permitted, but displays a warning when used. Thanks Chris McDonough.
- New flag: `--system-site-packages`; this flag should be passed to get the previous default global-site-package-including behavior back.
- Added ability to set command options as environment variables and options in a `virtualenv.ini` file.
- Fixed various encoding related issues with paths. Thanks Gunnlaugur Thor Briem.
- Made `virtualenv.py` script executable.

## 1.6.4 (2011-07-21)

- Restored ability to run on Python 2.4, too.

## 1.6.3 (2011-07-16)

- Restored ability to run on Python < 2.7.

## 1.6.2 (2011-07-16)

- Updated embedded distribute release to 0.6.19.
- Updated embedded pip release to 1.0.2.
- Fixed #141 - Be smarter about finding pkg_resources when using the non-default Python intepreter (by using the `-p` option).
- Fixed #112 - Fixed path in docs.
- Fixed #109 - Corrected doctests of a Logger method.
- Fixed #118 - Fixed creating virtualenvs on platforms that use the “posix_local” install scheme, such as Ubuntu with Python 2.7.
- Add missing library to Python 3 virtualenvs (`_dummy_thread`).

## 1.6.1 (2011-04-30)

- Start to use git-flow.
- Added support for PyPy 1.5
- Fixed #121 – added sanity-checking of the -p argument. Thanks Paul Nasrat.
- Added progress meter for pip installation as well as setuptools. Thanks Ethan Jucovy.
- Added –never-download and –search-dir options. Thanks Ethan Jucovy.

## 1.6

- Added Python 3 support! Huge thanks to Vinay Sajip and Vitaly Babiy.
- Fixed creation of virtualenvs on Mac OS X when standard library modules (readline) are installed outside the standard library.
- Updated bundled pip to 1.0.

## 1.5.2

- Moved main repository to Github: https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv
- Transferred primary maintenance from Ian to Jannis Leidel, Carl Meyer and Brian Rosner
- Fixed a few more pypy related bugs.
- Updated bundled pip to 0.8.2.
- Handed project over to new team of maintainers.
- Moved virtualenv to Github at https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv

## 1.5.1

- Added `_weakrefset` requirement for Python 2.7.1.
- Fixed Windows regression in 1.5

## 1.5

- Include pip 0.8.1.
- Add support for PyPy.
- Uses a proper temporary dir when installing environment requirements.
- Add `--prompt` option to be able to override the default prompt prefix.
- Fix an issue with `--relocatable` on Windows.
- Fix issue with installing the wrong version of distribute.
- Add fish and csh activate scripts.

## 1.4.9

- Include pip 0.7.2

## 1.4.8

- Fix for Mac OS X Framework builds that use `--universal-archs=intel`
- Fix `activate_this.py` on Windows.
- Allow `$PYTHONHOME` to be set, so long as you use `source bin/activate` it will get unset; if you leave it set and do not activate the environment it will still break the environment.
- Include pip 0.7.1

## 1.4.7

- Include pip 0.7

## 1.4.6

- Allow `activate.sh` to skip updating the prompt (by setting `$VIRTUAL_ENV_DISABLE_PROMPT`).

## 1.4.5

- Include pip 0.6.3
- Fix `activate.bat` and `deactivate.bat` under Windows when `PATH` contained a parenthesis

## 1.4.4

- Include pip 0.6.2 and Distribute 0.6.10
- Create the `virtualenv` script even when Setuptools isn’t installed
- Fix problem with `virtualenv --relocate` when `bin/` has subdirectories (e.g., `bin/.svn/`); from Alan Franzoni.
- If you set `$VIRTUALENV_DISTRIBUTE` then virtualenv will use Distribute by default (so you don’t have to remember to use `--distribute`).

## 1.4.3

- Include pip 0.6.1

## 1.4.2

- Fix pip installation on Windows
- Fix use of stand-alone `virtualenv.py` (and boot scripts)
- Exclude ~/.local (user site-packages) from environments when using `--no-site-packages`

## 1.4.1

- Include pip 0.6

## 1.4

- Updated setuptools to 0.6c11
- Added the –distribute option
- Fixed packaging problem of support-files

## 1.3.4

- Virtualenv now copies the actual embedded Python binary on Mac OS X to fix a hang on Snow Leopard (10.6).
- Fail more gracefully on Windows when `win32api` is not installed.
- Fix site-packages taking precedent over Jython’s `__classpath__` and also specially handle the new `__pyclasspath__` entry in `sys.path`.
- Now copies Jython’s `registry` file to the virtualenv if it exists.
- Better find libraries when compiling extensions on Windows.
- Create `Scripts\pythonw.exe` on Windows.
- Added support for the Debian/Ubuntu `/usr/lib/pythonX.Y/dist-packages` directory.
- Set `distutils.sysconfig.get_config_vars()['LIBDIR']` (based on `sys.real_prefix`) which is reported to help building on Windows.
- Make `deactivate` work on ksh
- Fixes for `--python`: make it work with `--relocatable` and the symlink created to the exact Python version.

## 1.3.3

- Use Windows newlines in `activate.bat`, which has been reported to help when using non-ASCII directory names.
- Fixed compatibility with Jython 2.5b1.
- Added a function `virtualenv.install_python` for more fine-grained access to what `virtualenv.create_environment` does.
- Fix a problem with Windows and paths that contain spaces.
- If `/path/to/env/.pydistutils.cfg` exists (or `/path/to/env/pydistutils.cfg` on Windows systems) then ignore `~/.pydistutils.cfg` and use that other file instead.
- Fix ` a problem <https://bugs.launchpad.net/virtualenv/+bug/340050>`_ picking up some `.so` libraries in `/usr/local`.

## 1.3.2

- Remove the `[install] prefix = ...` setting from the virtualenv `distutils.cfg` – this has been causing problems for a lot of people, in rather obscure ways.
- If you use a boot script it will attempt to import `virtualenv` and find a pre-downloaded Setuptools egg using that.
- Added platform-specific paths, like `/usr/lib/pythonX.Y/plat-linux2`

## 1.3.1

- Real Python 2.6 compatibility. Backported the Python 2.6 updates to `site.py`, including user directories (this means older versions of Python will support user directories, whether intended or not).
- Always set `[install] prefix` in `distutils.cfg` – previously on some platforms where a system-wide `distutils.cfg` was present with a `prefix` setting, packages would be installed globally (usually in `/usr/local/lib/pythonX.Y/site-packages`).
- Sometimes Cygwin seems to leave `.exe` off `sys.executable`; a workaround is added.
- Fix `--python` option.
- Fixed handling of Jython environments that use a jython-complete.jar.

## 1.3

- Update to Setuptools 0.6c9
- Added an option `virtualenv --relocatable EXISTING_ENV`, which will make an existing environment “relocatable” – the paths will not be absolute in scripts, `.egg-info` and `.pth` files. This may assist in building environments that can be moved and copied. You have to run this after any new packages installed.
- Added `bin/activate_this.py`, a file you can use like `execfile("path_to/activate_this.py", dict(__file__="path_to/activate_this.py"))` – this will activate the environment in place, similar to what the mod_wsgi example does.
- For Mac framework builds of Python, the site-packages directory `/Library/Python/X.Y/site-packages` is added to `sys.path`, from Andrea Rech.
- Some platform-specific modules in Macs are added to the path now (`plat-darwin/`, `plat-mac/`, `plat-mac/lib-scriptpackages`), from Andrea Rech.
- Fixed a small Bashism in the `bin/activate` shell script.
- Added `__future__` to the list of required modules, for Python 2.3. You’ll still need to backport your own `subprocess` module.
- Fixed the `__classpath__` entry in Jython’s `sys.path` taking precedent over virtualenv’s libs.

## 1.2

- Added a `--python` option to select the Python interpreter.
- Add `warnings` to the modules copied over, for Python 2.6 support.
- Add `sets` to the module copied over for Python 2.3 (though Python 2.3 still probably doesn’t work).

## 1.1.1

- Added support for Jython 2.5.

## 1.1

- Added support for Python 2.6.
- Fix a problem with missing `DLLs/zlib.pyd` on Windows. Create
- `bin/python` (or `bin/python.exe`) even when you run virtualenv with an interpreter named, e.g., `python2.4`
- Fix MacPorts Python
- Added –unzip-setuptools option
- Update to Setuptools 0.6c8
- If the current directory is not writable, run ez_setup.py in `/tmp`
- Copy or symlink over the `include` directory so that packages will more consistently compile.

## 1.0

- Fix build on systems that use `/usr/lib64`, distinct from `/usr/lib` (specifically CentOS x64).
- Fixed bug in `--clear`.
- Fixed typos in `deactivate.bat`.
- Preserve `$PYTHONPATH` when calling subprocesses.

## 0.9.2

- Fix include dir copying on Windows (makes compiling possible).
- Include the main `lib-tk` in the path.
- Patch `distutils.sysconfig`: `get_python_inc` and `get_python_lib` to point to the global locations.
- Install `distutils.cfg` before Setuptools, so that system customizations of `distutils.cfg` won’t effect the installation.
- Add `bin/pythonX.Y` to the virtualenv (in addition to `bin/python`).
- Fixed an issue with Mac Framework Python builds, and absolute paths (from Ronald Oussoren).

## 0.9.1

- Improve ability to create a virtualenv from inside a virtualenv.
- Fix a little bug in `bin/activate`.
- Actually get `distutils.cfg` to work reliably.

## 0.9

- Added `lib-dynload` and `config` to things that need to be copied over in an environment.
- Copy over or symlink the `include` directory, so that you can build packages that need the C headers.
- Include a `distutils` package, so you can locally update `distutils.cfg` (in `lib/pythonX.Y/distutils/distutils.cfg`).
- Better avoid downloading Setuptools, and hitting PyPI on environment creation.
- Fix a problem creating a `lib64/` directory.
- Should work on MacOSX Framework builds (the default Python installations on Mac). Thanks to Ronald Oussoren.

## 0.8.4

- Windows installs would sometimes give errors about `sys.prefix` that were inaccurate.
- Slightly prettier output.

## 0.8.3

- Added support for Windows.

## 0.8.2

- Give a better warning if you are on an unsupported platform (Mac Framework Pythons, and Windows).
- Give error about running while inside a workingenv.
- Give better error message about Python 2.3.

## 0.8.1

Fixed packaging of the library.

## 0.8

Initial release. Everything is changed and new!

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