Can't make a virtual env in PyCharm using a WSL Python interpreter

Question

I'm trying to use a Python interpreter in WSL to make virtual environments, buy it doesn't show any Python file.

I used where python3 to find the interpreter. It says /usr/bin/python3 but as you can see it shows nothing in PyCharm.

I also tried uninstalling and reinstalling PyCharm and it didn't work.

Also when I create a virtual env from WSL terminal using virtualenv -p python3 venv I can't import that in PyCharm because it doesn't recognize Python in ~/venv/bin/...

Answer 1

You can set up venv inside wsl:

python3 -m venv /usr/venv/project1

And add this to pycharm:

Answer 2

Sadly, Virtual Environments are not yet supported in Pycharm with WSL. See the docs here.

Excerpt: "Note that with WSL you cannot create virtual environments: all packages you install will be added to the corresponding system interpreter. You will be asked to enter your sudo password"

If I absolutely need to code against a library within Ubuntu (such as Apache Pulsar), I use Linux Pycharm running an XSession to XFCE, running withing WSL. It works very well and you will find lots of articles to achieve this with a Google Search.

Answer 3

I am not familiar with using WSL through PyCharm, but I do use an interpreter on remote server thourgh SSH.
With my experience I know PyCharm doesn't support creating a new venv environment from the IDE on the remote server.

The workaround I use is to first set up new venv manually within the server, and then when I set up the project interpreter in PyCharm I set the interpreter path to the relevant venv path in the server.
So I suggest the same thing- first create a new venv on the WSL environment and then set the path of the venv as the project interpreter (through WSL no through remote server)