5.2.3. Creating a Python virtual environment

In this step, you will use Python 3 venv module to create an isolated virtual environment for Galaxy.

Note

For a detailed guide on creating and using virtual environments, read:

-> Python virtual environments

To create the virtual environment:

1. Change into the galaxy directory:

   cd galaxy
   

2. Create virtual environment using .venv as the name.

   python3 -m venv .venv
   

   Attention

   The dot (.) in .venv, is important.

3. Activate the virtual environment:

   source .venv/bin/activate
   

   Your shell prompt will now change to include (.venv):

   (.venv) user@cookbook:~/programs/galaxy$
   

4. Install or upgrade Python build tools:

   pip3 install -U pip setuptools wheel
   

   This step is necessary, so additional packages will build and install without any issues.

5. Finally, exit the virtual environment:

   deactivate
   

In the next step, the start-up script will detect this environment and use it to install all dependencies necessary for running Galaxy.