pylint doesn't point to virtualenv python

Question

I am pretty new to python and currenty I am trying to use pylint for checking code quality. I am getting a problem. My pylint doesn\'t point to virtualenv python interpreter

Answer 1

Noufal Ibrahim's answer works if you execute pylint manually.

If you execute pylint from you editor/IDE, you need to configure the plugin correctly.

• vim/syntastic
• atom/linter-pylint
• ...

It can get tricky. This may be considered a bug of each IDE/plugin, but that's how it is.

Modifying /usr/bin/pylint to write #!/usr/bin/env python as suggested in another answer fixes this for every use of pylint (manual use, or any editor integration).

However, at least in Debian, using #!/usr/bin/python is a design choice, not a bug. See here for the rationale.

To avoid modifying that system file, one can create a copy of /usr/bin/pylint in /usr/local/bin:

cp /usr/bin/pylint /usr/local/bin/pylint
vi usr/local/bin/pylint # Edit the file to use /usr/bin/env python

This won't be broken by a pylint update, but still infringes Debian's "strongly preferred choice".

This method requires root privileges. An unprivileged user may create an alias

alias pylint='/usr/bin/env python $(which pylint)'.

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I always develop in virtualenv and I setup a postmkvirtualenv hook to install pylint and flake8 automatically when creating a virtualenv, so I don't use the versions ditributed by debian anymore.