`dyld: Library not loaded` error preventing virtualenv from loading

Question

When I tried creating a virtual environment with python using the command virtualenv venv from Terminal, I got the following error:

Using base prefix '/Users/zacharythomas/anaconda3'
New python executable in /Users/zacharythomas/venv/bin/python
dyld: Library not loaded: @rpath/libpython3.6m.dylib
Referenced from: /Users/zacharythomas/venv/bin/python
Reason: image not found
ERROR: The executable /Users/zacharythomas/venv/bin/python is not functioning
ERROR: It thinks sys.prefix is '/Users/zacharythomas' (should be '/Users/zacharythomas/venv')
ERROR: virtualenv is not compatible with this system or executable

I'm not the first person to encounter a similar error -- I tried following this answer's recommendations and running:

gfind ~/.virtualenvs/my-virtual-env/ -type l -xtype l -delete

That didn't help. Nor did running sudo virtualenv venv to run commmand as a super user.

What should I investigate next?

Answer 1

I had the exact same error message. Ray Donnelly at Continuum Analytics Support Group provided the following solution, which resolved the issue for me:

When you pip installed virtualenvwrapper, pip will have installed virtualenv for you as it is a dependency. Unfortunately, that virtualenv is not compatible with Anaconda Python. Fortunately, the Anaconda Distribution has a virtualenv that is compatible. To fix this:

pip uninstall virtualenv
conda install virtualenv

can't get virtualenv to work with anaconda3 v4.3 on mac