Using a Custom Python Installation

The following instructions are guidelines on how to run Basilisk with a computer that is not using a system installed version of Python.

• Basilisk must be built and run with the same Python binary. For example, you cannot build for Python 3.8 and run against Python 3.9.

• The best way to work with different versions of python installed on your computer is to setup a virtual python environment, such as with venv. In this case only that python used to create the virtual environment is available and conflicts with other versions are avoided.

• If you use a virtual environment, but sure to build Basilisk in that virtual environment for the simulation script to function. For example, within the virtual environment type python --version to check that the correct version of python is called with the python command. On Linux and macOS, you can also check what python version the python3 command uses. Alternatively, calling where python will show you what python option there are, and what version will be called by looking for the top entry.