Downgrade Python version in virtual environment

Question

I am always getting the same error regarding TensorFlow: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tensorflow.contrib'.

I am actually using Python version 3.9 but, reading online, it seems that version 3.7 is the last stable one that can work with TensorFlow version >2.0.

Unfortunately I have started my project in a venv with the wrong version of Python and I would like to downgrade it, how can I do that?

Answer 1

Building on @chepner's comment above, since venvs are just directories, you can save your current state and start a fresh virtual environment instead.

# Save current installs
(venv) -> pip freeze -r > requirements.txt

# Shutdown current env
(venv) -> deactivate

# Copy it to keep a backup
-> mv venv venv-3.9

# Ensure you have python3.7
-> python3.7 -V

# Create and activate a 3.7 venv
-> python3.7 -m venv venv-3.7
-> source venv-3.7/bin/activate

# Reinstall previous requirements
(venv-3.7) -> pip install -r requirements.txt

# Install new requirements

Hope that helps!