python 3.8 venv missing activate command

Question

I compiled Python 3.8.1 under a user's home directory with

configure --prefix=/home/a_user/python3.8 --enable-shared

1. When I tried to use venv, I get:

python3 -m venv test_env
Error: Command '['/home/a_user/test_env/bin/python3', '-Im', 'ensurepip', '--upgrade', '--default-pip']' returned non-zero exit status 1.

2. test_env is created but incomplete:

test_env/
├── bin
│   ├── python -> python3
│   └── python3 -> /home/a_user/python3.8/bin/python3
├── include
├── lib
│   └── python3.8
│       └── site-packages
├── lib64 -> lib
└── pyvenv.cfg

6 directories, 3 files

3. ensurepip does exist:

python3 -m ensurepip
Looking in links: /tmp/tmpeqrn78f5
Requirement already satisfied: setuptools in ./python3.8/lib/python3.8/site-packages (41.2.0)
Requirement already satisfied: pip in ./python3.8/lib/python3.8/site-packages (19.2.3)

So I am clueless as to what's missing.

Answer 1

The final solution is:

python3 -m venv --without-pip test_env
source test_env/bin/activate
python3 -m ensurepip --upgrade
pip3 install --upgrade pip

Now the virtual env is fully set and working.