Python Virtual Environments in a DreamHost Shared Hosting Account
I experimented with Python virtual environments in my DreamHost shared hosting account.
Summary
For my conradhalling.com website, which is hosted by DreamHost, I am working on a Python-based web application that requires the argon2-cffi package for password hashing. However, the argon2-cffi package was not installed for the system python.
I experimented with creating a Python virtual environment in which I could install and use argon2-cffi. I tried using the virtualenv module and the venv module and succeeded in creating a virtual environment with both.
Testing the System Python
I logged into my DreamHost account, started the system Python, and attempted to import the argon2 module. It was not installed.
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$ ssh cxxxxx1@ixxxxxxxxxxxxxxx3.dreamhost.com
$ python3 --version
Python 3.10.12
$ python3
Python 3.10.12 (main, Feb 4 2025, 14:57:36) [GCC 11.4.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import argon2
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'argon2'
>>> exit()
virtualenv
DreamHost’s documentation recommended using virtualenv for setting up a Python virtual environment.
I created a virtual environment in the ~/venv directory and activated it. When the virtual environment was active, the shell printed (venv) above the prompt.
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$ python3 -m virtualenv venv
created virtual environment CPython3.10.12.final.0-64 in 326ms
[output omitted]
$ source venv/bin/activate
(venv)
$
I upgraded the installations of the pip, setuptools, and wheel packages.
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(venv)
$ pip3 list
Package Version
---------- -------
pip 22.0.2
setuptools 59.6.0
wheel 0.37.1
(venv)
$ pip3 install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
[output omitted]
Successfully installed pip-25.0.1 setuptools-75.8.2 wheel-0.45.1
I installed the argon2-cffi package as recommended by the documentation. I successfully tested importing the argon2 module.
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(venv)
$ python3 -Im pip install argon2-cffi
[output omitted]
Successfully installed argon2-cffi-23.1.0 argon2-cffi-bindings-21.2.0 cffi-1.17.1
pycparser-2.22
(venv)
$ python3
Python 3.10.12 (main, Feb 4 2025, 14:57:36) [GCC 11.4.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import argon2
>>> exit()
(venv)
$
I deactivated the virtual environment and deleted it since I wanted to test using the venv module to set up a virtual environment.
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(venv)
$ deactivate
$ rm -rf venv
venv
I tried to create a virtual environment using venv, but this failed because the ensurepip package was not installed.
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$ python3 -m venv venv
The virtual environment was not created successfully because ensurepip is not
available. On Debian/Ubuntu systems, you need to install the python3-venv
package using the following command.
apt install python3.10-venv
You may need to use sudo with that command. After installing the python3-venv
package, recreate your virtual environment.
Failing command: /home/cxxxxx1/venv/bin/python3
$ rm -rf venv
The pip documentation described how to install pip if ensurepip was not available.
I downloaded the get-pip.py script. I created a virtual environment without pip in the ~/venv directory and activated the environment. I ran the get-pip.py script, which installed pip, setuptools, and wheel packages in the virtual environment. As before, when the virtual environment was active, the shell printed (venv) above the prompt.
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$ curl https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py -o get-pip.py
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 2246k 100 2246k 0 0 7565k 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 7563k
$ python3 -m venv --without-pip venv
$ source venv/bin/activate
(venv)
$ python3 get-pip.py
[output omitted]
Successfully installed pip-25.0.1 setuptools-75.8.2 wheel-0.45.1
(venv)
$
I installed argon2-cffi and was able to import the argon2 module successfully.
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(venv)
$ python3 -Im pip install argon2-cffi
[output omitted]
Successfully installed argon2-cffi-23.1.0 argon2-cffi-bindings-21.2.0 cffi-1.17.1
pycparser-2.22
(venv)
$ python3
Python 3.10.12 (main, Feb 4 2025, 14:57:36) [GCC 11.4.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import argon2
>>> exit()
(venv)
$
I deactivated the virtual environment and deleted it because my testing was complete.
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(venv)
$ deactivate
$ rm -rf venv
$