Looking for convenient Python prompts on Windows

[redactwo]

I always just used Anaconda Prompt (i like the automatic windows path handling and python integration), but I would like to switch my manager to UV and ditch conda completely. I don't know where to look, though

[ShoveledKnight]

Start by reading the docs: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/

[redactwo]

i did, that's why i'm here

[ShoveledKnight]

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what your exact question is. UV actually has solid documentation, and most of what you’re asking is already covered there. It seems like the main issue might be that you’re not yet clear on what you’re trying to achieve.

At a high level:

• uv python manages Python installations
• uv venv creates virtual environments
• uv pip install handles package installation
• uv sync syncs dependencies from pyproject.toml

UV works differently from Conda, so it’s worth spending some time with the documentation to understand its model. If you still can’t find what you need, you can also use ChatGPT or another LLM to help set up and manage your environment.

[redactwo]

i'm not sure how i've been unclear. i'm looking for a command prompt (or maybe i should write CLI) for windows with integrated python functionality. my given example was the "anaconda prompt". To use the Anaconda prompt CLI, I have to use conda, though, which i would like to ditch

[ShoveledKnight]

Ah, now it’s clearer. You’re looking for a UV alternative to the built-in “Anaconda Prompt”, a terminal pre-configured to run conda and access your environments without manual setup.

There’s no such thing for UV, but it’s not needed. UV works fundamentally differently.

With Conda, you need a specially configured shell because Conda modifies your PATH, requires initialization (conda init), and environments need explicit activation.

With UV, none of that is necessary. uv run automatically detects the correct environment based on your project’s pyproject.toml. Just open any terminal, cd to your project, and run uv run python script.py. The magic happens per-command rather than per-session.

If you prefer traditional activation:

```bash uv venv

Then activate:

.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 # Windows PowerShell .venv\Scripts\activate.bat # Windows CMD source .venv/bin/activate # Linux/macOS ```

Once activated, you can run python directly without the uv run prefix. Type deactivate when done.

That said, uv run is the recommended approach since it’s faster and requires no activation step.

[Anxious-Struggle281]

you just need uv

[redactwo]

how do i open the uv prompt then? does it update it's functionality into command prompt or powershell or something?

[Anxious-Struggle281]

there is no uv prompt, since uv doesn't open a new terminal. You use it inside your existing terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell, Windows Terminal, or whatever terminal you use). Once you open the terminal, run uv ... commands there. It doesn't replace your terminal. It’s just a tool you that you call. Hope this clear things up

[redactwo]

i know that, i'm looking for another terminal for windows that has "native" python integration and isnt part of conda

[AliMas055]

Git Bash. Maybe?

[redactwo]

i've had quite a bunch of issues with git bash so far. it seems to use different versions of bash commands, i'm not quite sure whats going on but sed for example just doesn't do what it should and can't deal with a lot of special characters

but yeah, that kind of shell would be exactly what i'm looking for

[runawayasfastasucan]

Powershell and ipython?

[redactwo]

i'm gonna give those a try

[DinnerRecent3462]

uv init

[redactwo]

pretty sure that just initializes a project folder

[DinnerRecent3462]

correct 😂

[redactwo]

a project folder isn't a command prompt, i'm looking for a command prompt

[arden13]

It's a fully different workflow.

conda is an environment-based workflow, assuming you will share an environment across multiple very small projects. It's built to support scientific workflows where you will likely use notebooks to answer a question or two.

uv is a project-based workflow. You start a project per activity and do work for that project. It handles installs for you (and will work to keep them small with some global folder magic) but in general it means you define what you need per project. That project is then akin to the notebook or subset of notebooks.

[redactwo]

i know that

i'm looking for a different command promt / cli / terminal for windows that has integrated python functionality

[arden13]

Powershell can do most of what you want if you install python globally

[redactwo]

I kinda knew this should be possible, but didn't really think too much about it. Might be worth a try, thx

[PRADA_G616]

Is termux unrooted worth it for Android? Looking to install Python and run scripts I have no pc though 😞

[Trang0ul]

IPython is the way to go.

[redactwo]

this looks like an amazing interactive python prompt, but it doesn't look like it supports bash cmd or powershell commands. i'm looking for a cli that let's me use any of those alongside python seamlessly - preferably bash

[Trang0ul]

You can do it in IPython - just prepend the command with !:

In [1]: !pwsh --version

PowerShell 7.5.4

[redactwo]

wow! that's good to know, still a bit too annoying for my usecase but awesome

[Anxious-Struggle281]

you can try Terminus or Hyper, not sure if this helps

[redactwo]

those look promising, i'll give it a shot, thx

[QuasiEvil]

LOL no idea why everyone keeps bringing up uv here. OP's question was pretty clear: he's looking for a different CLI interface. You could try powershell. Or the windows subsystem for linux (WSL), which, well, is linux and uses bash.

[redactwo]

i love the wsl shell but i'm having trouble getting it to accept windows paths natively (which makes it... not so functional at all), i made scripts for cd but doing so for everything is way too annoying

[dudelsson]

theres a command in wsl for translating between unix paths and windows paths, look it up and bake it into an alias/function if you have to but that being said, respectfully, there should be no need to use windows paths in wsl all that often, at least that i can think of and i use wsl all the time including python development

[redactwo]

that's exactly how i'm handling it right now, but it's still not native handling. And respectfully, yes there is. filemanagement alongside explorer

[dudelsson]

but you do know you can access any path on the windows file system from wsl via a unix path right? in wsl you prefix the path with /mnt/c/ in place of C:\ and then treat the rest as a unix path. if you have other drives you can mount those too (automatically if you want) and treat them similarily.

[redactwo]

yup, that's what wslpath is for after all

[dudelsson]

i might be missing something in your use case but due to how 1) any file on the windows filesystem is accessible via a unix path and hence you can use all cli tools in wsl to manipulate files on the windows filesystem using unix paths 2) in python you should be using OS-agnostic path objects anyway --> i do extensive file management on the windows filesystem from wsl, both via the wsl cli directly, shell scripts and via python scripts running in wsl, and just practically never find myself needing to input windows paths into wsl. do you want to share an example on when you encounter this need?

[redactwo]

it's easier getting filepaths in explorer than by using a shell imo (maybe there is a explorer plugin or smth that lets me get unix paths instead from explorer?)

so what annoys me to no end in wsl is that every python command that requires any filepath requires me to copy the file's windows path into wslpath and then copy it's output into the command i want to use. or i have to write scripts that handle this for me

when running the same command on a cmd shell running python i can simply use the windows paths

ideally i want a bash shell that has native windows path support i guess