# Problem with creating venv on mac
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [July 8, 2025, 10:37pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908 "2025-07-08T22:37:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2025, 10:37pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908/1 "2025-07-08T22:37:27Z")
Following the guide at [Install any python package for the ParaView binary release using pip](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/install-any-python-package-for-the-paraview-binary-release-using-pip/14437), I’m running into a problem on macOS. When I run `pvpython -m venv ~/.venv` on my M4 mac (ParaView 6.0.0-RC2), I get a mysterious error:
```auto
/Applications/ParaView-6.0.0-RC2.app/Contents/bin/pvpython -m venv ~cory.quammen/.venv
Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/Users/cory.quammen/.venv/bin/vtkpython'
```
`/Users/cory.quammen/.venv/bin/vtkpython` exists, but it is a link to `/Applications/ParaView-6.0.0-RC2.app/Contents/Libraries/vtkpython`, which does not exist. I’m not sure why `vtkpython` is referenced at all.
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2025, 3:32am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908/2 "2025-07-09T03:32:23Z")
Is `venv` now using the interpreter-reported binary name perhaps? I don’t see ParaView calling `SetProgramName` or setting `vtkPythonInterpreter::InitializeWithArgs`’s `programName` argument.
---
### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908/3 "2025-07-09T13:51:00Z")
> [@ben.boeckel](#):
>
> Is `venv` now using the interpreter-reported binary name perhaps?
It must be:
```auto
$ /Applications/ParaView-6.0.0-RC2.app/Contents/bin/pvpython
import sysPython 3.12.7 (main, Jul 2 2025, 12:31:09) [Clang 16.0.0 (clang-1600.0.26.4)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.executable
'/Applications/ParaView-6.0.0-RC2.app/Contents/Libraries/vtkpython'
```
---
### Author:  [@cory.quammen](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/cory.quammen)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2025, 3:20pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908/4 "2025-07-09T15:20:27Z")
> [@ben.boeckel](#):
>
> I don’t see ParaView calling `SetProgramName` or setting `vtkPythonInterpreter::InitializeWithArgs`’s `programName` argument.
It does. Tracing through on my Mac, I see
That doesn’t seem to be a mac-specific code path, however.
---
### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908/5 "2025-07-09T15:37:41Z")
iirc there is an override in ParaView code some way or another. And this override was not possible for macOS, maybe ?
More investigation needed.
---
### Author:  [@ben.boeckel](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/ben.boeckel)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2025, 10:34am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/problem-with-creating-venv-on-mac/16908/6 "2025-07-21T10:34:19Z")
This is the default path. Note that `newprogramname` is always constructed with `vtkpython` right above the breakpoint location.