How can I make homebrew's python and pyenv live together?

Question

After switching to python 3.4.3 from 2.7.9 (which was quite simple), I often wish to test some of my scripts with python 2.7.9 before sharing them with colleagues. I am using a OSX yosemite platform with everything compiled from homebrew.

The situation was quite ugly (setting PATHes and PYTHONPATH at each step) - until I discovered pyenv which does this very easily and is easily installed using homebrew. So far, so good.

However, now that I am using this version of python, it does not necessarily play well with that of homebrew. Moreover, I found that I could switch back to the system's python, and more generally that pyenv could access that:

$ pyenv versions   system   2.7.9 * 3.4.3 (set by /usr/local/var/pyenv/version) 

but how could I also add entries for the pythons compiled by homebrew?

Answer 1

You can install pyenv in your home directory (as described in pyenv's installation guide), and then create a symlink at ~/.pyenv/versions to $(brew --cellar)/python:

ln -s $(brew --cellar python)/* ~/.pyenv/versions/ 

The way Homebrew works nowadays, this will pick up both 2.x and 3.x.

Answer 2

A handy function to relink versions:

pyenv-brew-relink() {   rm -f "$HOME/.pyenv/versions/*-brew"    for i in $(brew --cellar python)/*; do     ln -s --force $i $HOME/.pyenv/versions/${i##/*/}-brew;   done    for i in $(brew --cellar python@2)/*; do     ln -s --force $i $HOME/.pyenv/versions/${i##/*/}-brew;   done }