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Configure a Python interpreter | PyCharm Documentation

Configure a Python interpreter Python interpreters in PyCharm

To work with your Python code in PyCharm, you need to configure at least one Python interpreter. You can use a system interpreter that is available with your Python installation. You can also create a Virtualenv, pipenv, Poetry, or conda virtual environment. A virtual environment consists of a base interpreter and the installed packages.

With PyCharm Pro, you can also configure interpreters to execute your Python code on remote environments by using SSH, Docker, Docker Compose, or WSL (only for Windows).

When you configure a Python interpreter, you need to specify the path to the Python executable in your system. So, before configuring a Python interpreter, you need to ensure that you've downloaded Python and installed it in your system and you're aware of a path to it.

You can create several Python interpreters based on the same Python executable. This is helpful when you need to create different virtual environments for developing different types of applications. For example, you can create one virtual environment based on Python 3.12 to develop Django applications and another virtual environment based on the same Python 3.12 to work with scientific libraries.

Python interpreters can be configured for a new project or for the current project (you can create a new interpreter or use one of the existing interpreters).

Configuring an existing Python interpreter

At any time, you can switch the Python interpreter either by using the Python Interpreter selector or in Settings.

Switch the Python interpreter using the Python Interpreter selector Switch the Python interpreter in the IDE settings
  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open settings and then select .

  2. Click the drop-down and select the required Python interpreter:

  3. If it is not on the list, click Show All. Then select the required interpreter in the left pane and click OK.

    When PyCharm stops supporting any of the outdated Python versions, the corresponding Python interpreter is marked as unsupported.

When you change the project interpreter and select an SSH interpreter, you might need to synchronize the local content with the target server. Mind a notification balloon in the lower-right corner:

You can choose to enable the automatic uploading of files to the server:

Modify a Python interpreter
  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open settings and then select .

  2. Expand the list of the available interpreters and click Show All.

  3. You can modify the path to the Python executable in the Interpreter path field.

    When the Associate this virtual environment with the current project checkbox is enabled, the interpreter is available only in the current PyCharm project.

    To change the interpreter name, select the target interpreter and click .

    The Python interpreter name specified in the Name field becomes visible in the list of available interpreters. Click OK to apply the changes.

Remove a Python interpreter

If you no longer need a Python interpreter for a project, you can remove it from the project settings.

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Expand the list of the available interpreters and click Show All.

  3. Choose the interpreter that you want to remove and click .

Creating a new Python interpreter Configuring local Python interpreters

To configure a local Python interpreter for the current project, follow one of the procedures below:

Create a virtualenv environment

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select Add Local Interpreter.

  3. The following actions depend on whether you want to generate a new virtual environment or to use an existing one.

    New virtualenv environment
    1. Select Virtualenv from the list of environment types.

    2. Select the base interpreter from the list, or click and find the Python executable in your file system.

    3. Specify the location of the new virtual environment in the Location field, or click and browse for the location in your file system. The directory for the new virtual environment should be empty.

    4. Select the Inherit packages from base interpreter checkbox if you want all packages installed in the global Python on your machine to be added to the virtual environment you're going to create. This checkbox corresponds to the --system-site-packages option of the virtualenv tool.

    5. Select the Make available to all projects checkbox if you want to reuse this environment when creating Python interpreters in PyCharm.

    Existing virtualenv environment
    • Select Virtualenv from the list of environment types.

    • Select the required interpreter from the list.

      If the required interpreter is not on the list, click , and then browse for the required Python executable (for example, venv/bin/python on macOS or venv\Scripts\python.exe on Windows).

    The selected virtual environment will be reused for the current project.

  4. Click OK to complete the task.

If PyCharm displays the Invalid environment warning, it means that the specified Python binary cannot be found in the file system, or the Python version is not supported. Check the Python path and install a new version, if needed.

For more information, refer to Configure a virtualenv environment.

Create a conda environment

  1. Ensure that Anaconda or Miniconda is downloaded and installed on your computer, and you are aware of a path to its executable file.

    For more information, refer to the installation instructions.

  2. Do one of the following:

  3. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select Add Local Interpreter.

  4. The following actions depend on whether you want to create a new conda environment or to use an existing one.

    New conda environment
    1. Select Conda from the list of environment types.

    2. Select the Python version from the list.

    3. Specify the environment name.

    4. Normally, PyCharm will detect conda installation.

      Otherwise, specify the location of the conda executable, or click to browse for it.

    Existing conda environment
    1. Select Conda from the list of environment types.

    2. Normally, PyCharm will detect conda installation.

      Otherwise, specify the location of the conda executable, or click to browse for it.

    3. Select the environment from the list.

    The selected conda environment will be reused for the current project.

  5. Click OK to complete the task.

For more information, refer to Configure a conda virtual environment.

Create a pipenv environment

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select Add Local Interpreter.

  3. Select Pipenv from the list of environment types.

  4. Select the base interpreter from the list, or click and find the Python executable in your file system.

  5. If you have added the base binary directory to your PATH environmental variable, you do not need to set any additional options: the path to the pipenv executable will be autodetected.

    If PyCharm does not detect the pipenv executable, click Install pipenv via pip to allow PyCharm to install it for you automatically.

    Alternatively, follow the pipenv installation procedure to discover the executable path and then specify it in the dialog.

  6. Click OK to complete the task.

If PyCharm displays the Invalid environment warning, it means that the specified Python binary cannot be found in the file system, or the Python version is not supported. Check the Python path and install a new version, if needed.

When you have set the pipenv virtual environment as a Python interpreter, all available packages are added from the source defined in Pipfile. The packages are installed, removed, and updated in the list of the packages through pipenv rather than through pip.

For more information, refer to Configure a pipenv environment.

Create a Poetry environment

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select Add Local Interpreter.

  3. The following actions depend on whether you want to create a new Poetry environment or to use an existing one.

    New Poetry environment
    1. Select Poetry from the list of environment types.

    2. Select the base interpreter from the list or click and find the Python executable in your file system.

    3. If PyCharm does not detect the poetry executable, click Install poetry via pip to allow PyCharm to install poetry for you automatically.

      Alternatively, click Select path and choose the required file manually or specify the following path in the dialog, replacing jetbrains with your username:

      /Users/jetbrains/Library/Application Support/pypoetry/venv/bin/poetry

      C:\Users\jetbrains\AppData\Roaming\pypoetry\venv\Scripts\poetry.exe

      /home/jetbrains/.local/bin/poetry

    Existing Poetry environment
    1. Make sure that the project directory contains a pyproject.toml file.

    2. Select the interpreter from the list.

      If the required interpreter is not on the list, click , and then browse for the Python executable within the previously configured Poetry environment.

    The selected Poetry environment will be reused for the current project.

  4. Click OK to complete the task.

For more information, refer to Configure a Poetry environment.

Create a uv environment

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select Add Local Interpreter.

  3. The following actions depend on whether you want to generate a new virtual environment or to use an existing one.

    New uv environment
    1. Select uv from the list of environment types.

    2. Select the Python version from the list.

    3. Normally, PyCharm will detect uv installation.

      Otherwise, specify the location of the uv executable, or click to browse for it.

    Existing uv environment
    1. Select uv from the list of environment types.

    2. Normally, PyCharm will detect uv installation.

      Otherwise, specify the location of the uv executable, or click to browse for it.

    3. Select the environment from the list.

    The selected uv environment will be reused for the current project.

  4. Click OK to complete the task.

For more information, refer to Configure a uv environment.

Create a Hatch environment

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select Add Local Interpreter.

  3. The following actions depend on whether you want to generate a new virtual environment or to use an existing one.

    New Hatch environment
    1. Select Hatch from the list of environment types.

    2. Normally, PyCharm will detect Hatch installation.

      Otherwise, specify the location of the Hatch executable, or click to browse for it.

    3. Select an environment.

      Hatch environments are workspaces designed for various project-specific tasks. If no environment is explicitly selected, Hatch will use the default environment.

    4. Select the base interpreter from the list, or click and find the Python executable in your file system.

    Existing Hatch environment
    1. Select Hatch from the list of environment types.

    2. Normally, PyCharm will detect Hatch installation.

      Otherwise, specify the location of the Hatch executable, or click to browse for it.

    3. Select the environment from the list.

  4. Click OK to complete the task.

For more information, refer to Configure a Hatch environment.

Configuring remote Python interpreters

When a remote Python interpreter is added, at first the PyCharm helpers are copied to the remote host. PyCharm helpers are needed to run remotely the packaging tasks, debugger, tests and other PyCharm features.

Next, the skeletons for binary libraries are generated and copied locally. Also, all the Python library sources are collected from the Python paths on a remote host and copied locally along with the generated skeletons. Storing skeletons and all Python library sources locally is required for resolve and completion to work correctly.

PyCharm checks the remote helpers version on every remote run, so if you update your PyCharm version, the new helpers will be uploaded automatically, and you don't need to recreate remote interpreter.

Configure a WSL interpreter

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select On WSL.

  3. Wait until PyCharm detects Linux on your machine and completes introspection. Click Next to proceed:

  4. In the left-hand pane of the dialog, select the type of the WSL interpreter you want to create: Virtual Environment, Conda Environment, or System Interpreter.

    For a system interpreter, just provide the path to the Python executable in the selected Linux distribution.

    For virtual and conda environments, you can provide a path to a Python executable of an existing environment in the selected Linux distribution or create a new environment based on the specified Python.

Once done, the new interpreter will be added to your project, and the default mnt mappings will be set.

For more information, refer to Configure an interpreter using WSL.

Configure an interpreter using SSH

  1. Ensure that there is an SSH server running on a remote host, since PyCharm runs remote interpreters via ssh-sessions.

  2. Do one of the following:

  3. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select On SSH.

  4. Select an option to create a new SSH connection, then specify server information (host, port, and username).

    Alternatively, you can select Existing and choose any available SSH configuration from the list. To create a new SSH configuration, follow the steps below:

    Creating an SSH configuration
    • Click next to the list of configurations:

    • Click , disable the Visible only for this project checkbox, and fill in the required fields:

    • Once done, the newly created SSH configuration will appear in the list of available configurations. It will also become available in the SSH Deployment Configurations settings. Click Next to proceed:

  5. In the next dialog window, provide the authentication details to connect to the target server.

    Select Password or Key pair (OpenSSH or PuTTY) and enter your password or passphrase. If Key pair (OpenSSH or PuTTY) is selected, specify:

    Click Next to proceed.

  6. Wait until PyCharm completes the introspection of the SSH server.

  7. In the next dialog, select a type of Python environment to configure on the SSH server.

    You can create a new virtual environment or сonda environment, select an existing one, or use a system interpreter.

    Click Create to complete adding the interpreter.

For more information, refer to Configure an interpreter using SSH.

Configure an interpreter using Docker

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select On Docker.

  3. Select an existing Docker configuration in the Docker server dropdown.

    Alternatively, click and perform the following steps to create a new Docker configuration:

    Create a Docker configuration

    Click to add a Docker configuration and specify how to connect to the Docker daemon.

    The connection settings depend on your Docker version and operating system. For more information, refer to Docker connection settings.

    The Connection successful message should appear at the bottom of the dialog.

    For more information about mapping local paths to the virtual machine running the Docker daemon when using Docker on Windows or macOS, refer to Virtual machine path mappings for Windows and macOS hosts. You will not be able to use volumes and bind mounts for directories outside of the mapped local path.

    This table is not available on a Linux host, where Docker runs natively and you can mount any directory to the container.

  4. The following actions depend on whether you want to pull a pre-built image from a Docker registry or to build an image locally from a Dockerfile.

    Pull a Docker image

    Select Pull or use existing and specify the tag of the desired image in the Image tag field.

    Build a Docker image

    Select Build and change the default values in the Dockerfile and Context folder fields if necessary.

    If required, expand the Optional section and specify the following:

  5. Wait for PyCharm to connect to the Docker daemon and complete the container introspection.

  6. Next, select an interpreter to use in the Docker container. You can choose any virtualenv or conda environment that is already configured in the container or select a system interpreter.

  7. Click OK.

    The configured remote interpreter is added to the list.

For more information, refer to Configure an interpreter using Docker.

Configure an interpreter using Docker Compose

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the Add Interpreter link next to the list of available interpreters and select On Docker Compose.

  3. Select Docker configuration in the Server dropdown.

  4. Specify the docker-compose.yml file in Configuration files and select the service.

    Optionally, specify environment variables and edit the Compose project name.

  5. Wait until PyCharm creates and configures a new target:

  6. Select an interpreter to use in the container. You can choose any virtualenv or conda environment that is already configured in the container, or select a system interpreter.

  7. Click OK.

    The configured remote interpreter is added to the list.

For more information, refer to Configure an interpreter using Docker Compose.

Setting the default interpreter

In PyCharm, you can specify a default interpreter. It will be set automatically for all the existing projects that do not contain an .idea folder when you first open them.

  1. Go to .

  2. Select Python Interpreter settings. Then either choose an existing interpreter from the Python interpreter list or click to add a new interpreter. Click OK to save the changes.

Managing interpreter packages

For each interpreter, you can install, upgrade, and delete Python packages. By default, PyCharm uses pip to manage project packages. For conda environments you can use the conda package manager.

PyCharm smartly tracks the status of packages and recognizes outdated versions by showing the number of the currently installed package version (column Version), and the latest available version (column Latest version). When a newer version of a package is detected, PyCharm marks it with the arrow sign and suggests to upgrade it.

By default, the Latest version column shows only stable versions of the packages. If you want to extend the scope of the latest available versions to any pre-release versions (such as beta or release candidate), click Show early releases.

You can upgrade several packages at once. Hold Cmd (macOS) or Ctrl on (Unix or Windows), left-click to select several items in the list of packages, and then click Upgrade.

See the detailed instructions:

If you are looking for a more convenient way to search for Python packages, preview the documentation, and manage Python package repositories, try the Python Packages tool window. For more information, refer to Manage packages in the Python Packages tool window.

15 July 2025


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