How do I change pipenv/virtualenv location to work with Portable VS Code and project on thumb drive?

Question

On Windows 10, I'm running VS Code 1.48.2 and Python 3, both installed on a thumb drive. I added an F:\Programs\VS Code\data folder with user-data andextensions. My project directory is F:\MyProject and it has a Pipfile. My project directory has a .env file and .venv\ so that pipenv will install to the local .venv\. What else do I need to get this environment working? Thanks!

.env file:

PYTHONPATH="F:\\Python\\Python38\\python.exe"
PYTHONHOME="F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts"
PIPENV_VENV_IN_PROJECT=True

F:\MyProject\.vscode\settings.json file:

{
    "python.pythonPath": "f:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts\\python.exe"
}

Although, when I used Preferences: Open Settings, it opened my F:\Programs\VS Code\data\user-data\settings.json file, though the paths look right (to me):

{
    "editor.suggestSelection": "first",
    "vsintellicode.modify.editor.suggestSelection": "automaticallyOverrodeDefaultValue",
    "python.languageServer": "Microsoft",
    "python.pythonPath": "${workspacefolder}/.venv/Scripts/python.exe",
    "python.venvPath": "${workspacefolder}/.venv",
    "python.venvFolders": [
        ".venv",
        "${workspacefolder}/.venv"
    ]
}

Used the following steps to setup:

ps > cd F:\MyProject
ps > F:\Programs\VS Code\code.exe .

[In vscode integrated terminal]
PS F:\MyProject> py -m venv --system-site-packages .venv
PS F:\MyProject> pipenv shell
Loading .env environment variables…
Warning: Your Pipfile requires python_version 3.8, but you are using unknown (F:\M\.venv\S\python.exe).
  $ pipenv --rm and rebuilding the virtual environment may resolve the issue.
  $ pipenv check will surely fail.
Launching subshell in virtual environment…
Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Try the new cross-platform PowerShell https://aka.ms/pscore6

PS F:\MyProject> ls .\.venv\Scripts\python.exe

    Directory: F:\MyProject\.venv\Scripts

Mode                LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                -------------         ------ ----
-a----           9/6/20   3:04 PM         532040 python.exe

PS F:\MyProject> python where
Python path configuration:
  PYTHONHOME = 'F:\MyProject\.venv\Scripts'
  PYTHONPATH = 'F:\Python\Python38\python.exe'
  program name = 'F:\Python\Python38\python.exe'
  isolated = 0
  environment = 1
  user site = 1
  import site = 1
  sys._base_executable = 'F:\\Python\\Python38\\python.exe'
  sys.base_prefix = 'F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts'
  sys.base_exec_prefix = 'F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts'
  sys.executable = 'F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts\\python.exe'
  sys.prefix = 'F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts'
  sys.exec_prefix = 'F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts'
  sys.path = [
    'F:\\Python\\Python38\\python.exe',
    'F:\\Python\\Python38\\python38.zip',
    'F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts\\DLLs',
    'F:\\MyProject\\.venv\\Scripts\\lib',
    'F:\\Python\\Python38',
  ]
Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding
Python runtime state: core initialized
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

Current thread 0x000020d4 (most recent call first):
<no Python frame>
PS F:\MyProject>

Answer 1

According to your description, you could refer to the following steps to use the virtual environment:

1. Open this project in VSCode.

According to the information you provided, there is already a virtual environment ".venv" in your project, so there will be a ".venv" folder after opening. like this:

2. Click "select Python Interpreter" in the lower left corner to select the ".venv" virtual environment:

   

   

3. VSCode has selected the virtual environment, and then we open a new terminal console through the shortcut key "Ctrl+Shift+`", VSCode will automatically enter the current virtual environment:

   

4. Use pip to install the module "PySimpleGui": (pip install PySimpleGui)

   

5. When we run the python script, VSCode showed that the module PySimpleGui could not be found. We found "Lib\site-packages" in the ".venv" folder of the project and changed "PySimpleGUI" to "PySimpleGui":

   

6. The python script runs successfully in the virtual environment: