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Python Virtual Environments Confusion

I have been learning data science using python for about a year now. I have become quite comfortable with the syntax and model creation. I have exclusively used Google Colab just due to how convenient it is and I love the notebook style. However, one thing I do not understand is the environment stuff. Although I use Colab, I do have python and anaconda on my machine and have installed various packages using the exact following format: pip install (package name). When I open my terminal, the first line is lead with (base) and when I check the Environments tab in anaconda navigator, it appears as though I installed all of these packages into a base environment named base (root)? Is that right? If so, what would my environment's name be then? What is a base environment compared to a venv?
The reason I am asking is because if I ever decide to use an IDE in the future, I would need to set my environment to be able to run packages, correct?
Just for fun I want to try using R and its reticulate package that allows python use in R. As stated in the answer to this question, I need to set my virtual environment before I can use python in R. Would my virtual environment be base (root)?
I'm a complete noob about all of this environment stuff. Again, I just opened my terminal and typed pip install (package name) for all packages I've installed. Thanks for any help in advance.

So from your description, it sounds like your default Python installation on your computer is through Anaconda. If that's the case, base is actually going to be the name of the conda virtual environment that you're using.
Virtual environments can be tricky, so I'll walk you through what I usually do here.
First, you can always check which Python installation you're currently using by using the which command on Mac/Linux, or if you're using Windows the command will probably be where (if you're on Windows, this answer might be helpful: equivalent of 'which' in Windows.)
(base) ➜ ~ which python
/Users/steven/miniconda3/bin/python
From the above, you can see that my default Python is through Miniconda, which is just a small version of Anaconda.
This means that when you use pip to install packages, those are getting installed into this base conda environment. And, by the way, you can use the which command with pip as well, just to double-check that you're using the version of pip that's in your current environment:
(base) ➜ ~ which pip
/Users/steven/miniconda3/bin/pip
If you want to see the list of packages currently installed, you can do pip freeze, or conda env export. Both pip and conda are package managers, and if you're using an Anaconda Python installation then you can (generally) use either to install packages into your virtual environment.
(Quick side note: "virtual environments" are a general concept that can be implemented in different ways. Both conda and virtualenv are ways to use virtual environments in Python. I'm also a data scientist, and I use conda for all of my virtual environments.)
If you want to create a new virtual environment using conda, it's very straightforward. First, you can create the environment and install some packages right away, like pandas and matplotlib. Then you can activate that environment, check your version of python, and then deactivate it.
(base) ➜ ~ conda create -n my-new-environment pandas matplotlib
(base) ➜ ~ which python
/Users/steven/miniconda3/bin/python
(base) ➜ ~ conda activate my-new-environment
(my-new-environment) ➜ ~ which python
/Users/steven/miniconda3/envs/my-new-environment/bin/python
(my-new-environment) ➜ ~ conda deactivate
(base) ➜ ~ which python
/Users/steven/miniconda3/bin/python
And, if you want to see which conda virtual environments you currently have available, you can run conda env list.
Here's the documentation for conda environments, which I reference all the time: https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html
I hope this is helpful!

make virtualenv with specific python version(MACOS)

I installed brew, python3 (default and latest version) and pip3, pyenv.
TensorFlow does not support python3.7 now, so I heard that I should make a virtualenv that runs 3.6 or lower version independently.
I installed python 3.6.7 by pyenv install 3.6.7 but can't make virtualenv -p 3.6.7 (mydir) because 3.6.7 is not in the PATH (usr/local/bin).
How can I update my PATH?

You don't need the executable to be on the PATH. Assuming you want /usr/local/bin/python3.6.7 to be used in the virtual environment,
virtualenv -p /usr/local/bin/python3.6.7 mydir
Updating your PATH is easy:
PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH
This will only update it in your current session; you might want to add this to your shell's startup files to make it permanent. This is a common FAQ but depends on a number of factors (your shell, etc) so google for details. Here is one question with several popular variants in the answers: Setting PATH environment variable in OSX permanently

I know that this doesn't answer the question exactly, but for completeness I'd like to add an Anaconda solution. Provided that an Anaconda environment is present on the system, a new Python environment can be created using conda create -n py36 python=3.6 pip. The name py36 can be arbitrarily chosen (could also be e.g. myenv or tensorflow), the desired Python version (in this example 3.6) is specified by python=3.6.
This environment can then be activated using conda activate py36 (or whatever name you assigned in the previous step). Once the environment is active, you can install tensorflow via pip: pip install tensorflow-gpu. To deactivate the current environment and return to the default environment, use conda deactivate. In this way, you don't have to modify PATH variables.
See also this documentation page for more details on the Anaconda environment.

Use default Python while having Anaconda

For development in Python, I am using Miniconda on my Mac with macos Sierra. However, I have to use a framework that only works with the default Python (present at /usr/bin/python).
My question is: How can I install packages for this default Python? If I use pip some-package, this will automatically install the package for the root conda environment.
EDIT: As discussed in the comments, I agree it is a bad idea to mess with the system default version of Python. Instead, I would like this SDK to work in a conda environment or with Python 2.7 installed from python.org. However, none of these seem to work! How to get this working?

You are not trying to install any package, you are trying to install very specific package pynaoqi that require external SDK, that is compiled for the specific architecture. You should edit your question to reflect that.
According to what I saw on the Net, it is not a trivial task. First, make sure you have the version 2.5 of the SDK, that suits the MacOS version. Then, look at this script. As they say, in order to work the dynamic libraries should be renamed.
By the way, you need 64-bit Python 2.7.

To install packages using the system Python you can use /usr/bin/easy_install, which ships with MacOS.
You may wish to install pip from there, by running:
sudo easy_install pip
Once you have pip installed, you won't be able to use it directly if the conda pip command is shadowing it. You have multiple options here, depending on your tastes. You may choose to alias the system pip to alias systempip=/usr/bin/pip, or have /usr/bin in front of /Users/user/anaconda/ in your $PATH.
As mentioned in other answers, messing with the system Python is not recommended, things may break, and you can (most) certainly get any package to work within a conda environment.
Some packages don't work out of the box with Anaconda's Python for some people because the distribution would default to a non-framework build of Python. A common complaint came from users of matplotlib, for example, who could not get figure windows to display properly. Fortunately, conda offers a framework build of python as well, named pythonw or pythonw3. Maybe you can try to get your package to work with pythonw, if that is where your problems come from.

Try this, find your way to path/to/python/scripts:
/usr/bin/python/scripts
And run pip here.

pip some-package is installing for the root anaconda environment because it is using pip from anaconda library. Anaconda add anaconda root dir to path before /usr/bin/ . so when you use pip if finds it on anaconda root. check path of pip using which pip, this will tell you complete path of pip.
You can install it on default python using /usr/bin/python -m pip install some-package. or use /path/to/default/pip install some-package.

The common issue is that anaconda (or miniconda) will have a python executable and pip executable in its bin directory.
If you truly need to run /usr/bin/python, this leads to the annoying conclusion: you cannot put conda in your path.
This lead me to some annoying machinations in my .bash_profile. You can use the same techniques for you, but your exact path to conda may differ:
# variables for using Conda
export BASE_PATH=$PATH
export CONDA_PATH="/Users/cmerriam/l/miniconda2/bin"
export CONDA_BIN="$CONDA_PATH/conda"
export CONDA_ACTIVATE="source $CONDA_PATH/activate"
export CONDA_DEACTIVATE="source $CONDA_PATH/deactivate"
# prompt function for [conda: myenv] when it is on.
function conda_branch {
type $CONDA_BIN >/dev/null 2>&1 && $CONDA_BIN info --envs | grep \* | awk '{print $1;}' | grep -v '^root'
}
function conda_part {
echo "[conda:$(conda_branch)]" | grep -v "\[conda:\]"
}
# Conda alias set
alias c="echo \"
cls = list conda environments
con <name> = activate conda environment
coff = deactivate conda environment
conda create -n tensorflow python=3.6 anaconda tensorflow jupyter
conda remove --name tensorflow --all
echo \\\$CONDA_DEFAULT_ENV\""
alias cls="$CONDA_BIN info --envs"
alias con="$CONDA_ACTIVATE"
alias coff="$CONDA_DEACTIVATE"
Option 2:
You may find you just need to run the same version or PYTHONPATH as /usr/bin/python. Then you make a conda environment with that version:
conda create -n myenv python=2.7
or, set a PYTHONPATH
export PYTHONPATH=/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages
Option 3:
Uninstall Conda. It is a good tool for a set of problems that is not your current set of problems.

I too have a Mac with Sierra.
Assumption: Let's say you have Anaconda. Now you would have DefaultPython(python2) and say this Anaconda is of Python3.
Secret: The way any shell/default python selected is with PATH variable set in a shell. So when you install Anaconda, installer shall try to set new path variables to your default bash shell
Solution: Have one python (2 or 3) as default. For the less used one, try using full path. If you have to use
Cheat code: create /usr/bin/python as symbolic link to the python's actual repo(save the old one). This can be altered according to your usage.
Hope this works!

I am not sure I correctly understood your problem, but if the problem is that you want to easily switch between several versions of python like system python, other versions of python, different versions of miniconda or anaconda bound to specific versions of python (that is not just virtual environments) on your mac, then the best solution is pyenv.
It automatically relinks where your current /usr/bin/python, /usr/bin/pip and other binaries like ipython currently look at depending on the context. There are several options of what context is, but I usually use system python as default and pyenv local for each project which basically puts a file with the version name in your current directory and each time you cd in the directory or its subdirecories /usr/bin/python is automatically switched to that version you selected.

You need to manage your PATH environment variable. I like to keep functions in my shell profile to turn conda "on" and "off." So, on a Mac for example:
deactconda() {
export PATH="${PATH/\/Users\/<your_usrname>\/anaconda\/bin:/}"
}
actconda() {
export PATH=$HOME/anaconda/bin:$PATH
}
Then, whenever you want to stop using conda, just type deactconda at the prompt, etc.

You can do this multiple ways, first by providing the path to the pip in your default location,
your_default_python_path/pip install package
for example if you have a python 2.7 then,
sudo /usr/local/bin/pip2.7 install networkx
This should do the trick for you. After that you can install any packages and invoke them using default python(mine is 2.7 here)
with pip version 0.8 onwards you can also specify sudo /usr/local/bin/pip-2.x install package as well

"virtualenv is not compatible with this system or executable" using virtual env and anaconda

I'm trying to start up a virtual env using virtualenv, am getting this error:
Already using interpreter /Users/pkilcrease/anaconda/bin/python3
Using base prefix '/Users/pkilcrease/anaconda'
New python executable in /Users/pkilcrease/.virtualenvs/bodega/bin/python3
Also creating executable in /Users/pkilcrease/.virtualenvs/bodega/bin/python
ERROR: The executable /Users/pkilcrease/.virtualenvs/bodega/bin/python3 is not functioning
ERROR: It thinks sys.prefix is '/Users/pkilcrease/.virtualenvs' (should be '/Users/pkilcrease/.virtualenvs/bodega')
ERROR: virtualenv is not compatible with this system or executable
The command I am running is mkvirtualenv -a . --no-site-packages --python='which python3' -r requirements.txt bodega
My .bashrc file currently looks like this:
export WORKON_HOME=$HOME/.virtualenvs
export VIRTUALENVWRAPPER_SCRIPT=/Users/pkilcrease/anaconda/bin/virtualenvwrapper.sh
source /Users/pkilcrease/anaconda/bin/virtualenvwrapper_lazy.sh
I have the feeling that there is some issue with anaconda and virtualenv which is causing the problem here, but not sure how to remedy that or if it's just a red herring.

If using a conda python executable, use conda create --name {your_venv} python=3 (note there is a virtualenv utility that comes with conda, but still use conda create... to make new virtual env's).
Otherwise, when using a version of python installed by the system package manager, create a virtual env using virtualenv, or preferably using the virtualenvwrapper utility mkvirtualenv. For example on Linux, the "system python" is /usr/bin/python3, /usr/bin/python, /usr/bin/python2, etc. Or, as it's clear you're on MacOS, that would likely be a python installed by brew (homebrew) or port (macports) in /opt or /usr/local. You may have to install virtualenvwrapper in order to get mkvirtualenv (and lsvirtualenv, etc).
In short, if you're using anaconda python, stick with conda utils. Else, if you're keeping your python free & open (as many of your corp IT data centers do), then use any of the various open utils like mkvirtualenv, etc.

Hopefully this may help people still looking at this question, but an easy fix:
conda install -y virtualenv

when I pip install, my packages are going in my macs local library

when I pip install a package it gets insalled on my macs library. I am using pycharm whih allows me to click on a package like a hyperlink. And instead of going to my site-packages in my virtualenv it's going to my macs library which is
/Library/Frameworks/Python.Framework/Versions/3.5/lib/python3.5/site-packages/gdata/youtube/
when it should be
myproject/lib/python3.5/site-packages/gdata/youtube/
why is that.

You should activate your virtual environment to install packages on that. In Pycharm you can do it like this:
Go to File > Settings > Project > Project Interpreter
Now you have to select the interpreter for this project. Browse or select the interpreter from drop-down if available. In your case this should be:
myproject/lib/python3.5
I am using Pycharm community edition on Ubuntu. But the
process should be similar in Mac.

I think you want to create a virtual environment for your project.
Install this tool virtualenv.
$ pip install virtualenv
Then create your project's folder
$ cd my_project_folder
$ virtualenv venv
This creates a copy of Python in whichever directory you ran the command in, placing it in a folder named venv.
Source
https://github.com/pypa/virtualenv
For further knowledge read
https://realpython.com/blog/python/python-virtual-environments-a-primer/

You should install your virtual environment and then run pip within that environment. So, for example, I use Anaconda (which I thoroughly recommend if you are installing alot of scientific libraries).
To activate the environment "hle" I type in:
source /Users/admin/.conda/envs/hle/bin/activate hle
Once I've done this the pip command will reference the virtual environment location and not the standard mac location. So, when I install "mypackage" as follows:
pip install mypackage
It subsequently installs files in the virtual folder and not in the usual mac system folders.
You can find out about the Anaconda virtual environment (and download it) over here: http://conda.pydata.org/docs/install/quick.html but other virtual environments (like Virtualenv) work in the same way.