创建Python虚拟环境后pyvenv.cfg的用途是什么？

Question

When I create a virtual environment in Python on Windows cmd, in the virtual environment folder, the following files appear:

• Include
• Lib
• Scripts
• pyvenv.cfg

What is the goal of pyvenv.cfg creation? Can I use it in any way?

Answer 1

pyvenv.cfg is a configuration file that stores information about the virtual environment such as

• standard libraries path
• Python version
• interpreter version
• virtual env flags
• or any other venv configs

If print content of pyvenv.cfg

$ cat myenv/pyvenv.cfg
home = /usr/bin
include-system-site-packages = false
version = 3.8.5

This is a sample output of the pyvenv.cfg file.

Cheers!

Answer 2

One of the problems though is that the "version=" information lies. For example, in a recent.venv I created for a project it says:

home = /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.10/bin
include-system-site-packages = false
version = 3.10.4

however, when I just installed python 3.10.6, it updates the base 3.10, and now the version info is incorrect. As I am just doing tutorials, I am happy that the environment now has the latest version, but I don't see the point of having incorrect version information in the cfg file.

In looking at the venv/bin folder I see symlinks of python, python3, and python3.10 commands.

It appears that by default on my system the venv is using symlinks instead of copies of the python binaries, which is fine, but if using symlinks, the cfg should not list the subversion number. We can specify that the venv command create copies instead, but my problem is with the incorrect info on the.cfg file.