Uv 0 11 23

uv 0.11.23

An extremely fast Python package and project manager written in Rust. A single tool replacing pip, pip-tools, pipx, poetry, pyenv, twine, virtualenv, and more — 10-100x faster than pip.

Overview

uv provides four main interfaces:

1. Projects — Full project management with lockfiles, workspaces, and environments (uv init, uv add, uv run, uv sync, uv lock)
2. Scripts — Run Python scripts with on-demand dependency resolution, including inline metadata (PEP 723)
3. Tools — Install and run CLI tools from Python packages, like pipx (uvx, uv tool install)
4. Python versions — Install and manage Python interpreters, auto-downloading as needed

It also includes a pip-compatible interface (uv pip install, uv pip compile, uv venv) for gradual migration from existing workflows.

Usage

Projects

# Create a new project
uv init my-project

# Add dependencies (auto-creates .venv, updates lockfile)
uv add requests flask

# Add with version constraints
uv add 'requests>=2.28,<3'

# Remove a dependency
uv remove requests

# Run commands in the project environment
uv run python main.py
uv run -- flask run -p 3000

# Lock dependencies (generates uv.lock)
uv lock

# Sync environment to match lockfile
uv sync

# Build distributions
uv build

# View dependency tree
uv tree

Scripts

# Run a script (auto-manages environment)
uv run script.py

# Run with ad-hoc dependencies
uv run --with rich,requests script.py

# Add inline metadata to a script (PEP 723)
uv add --script script.py requests

# Initialize a new script with metadata
uv init --script tool.py --python 3.12

# Lock script dependencies
uv lock --script script.py

Tools (like pipx)

# Run a tool in an ephemeral environment (alias: uvx)
uv tool run ruff check .
uvx ruff check .

# Run specific version
uvx ruff@0.9.0 check .

# Install a tool persistently (adds to PATH)
uv tool install ruff

# Upgrade tools
uv tool upgrade ruff
uv tool upgrade --all

# List installed tools
uv tool list

# Uninstall a tool
uv tool uninstall ruff

Python Versions

# Install Python versions
uv python install 3.12
uv python install 3.11 3.12 3.13

# Install PyPy
uv python install pypy@3.10

# List installed and available versions
uv python list

# Pin Python version for current directory
uv python pin 3.12

# Upgrade to latest patch
uv python upgrade 3.12

pip Interface (drop-in replacement)

# Create virtual environment
uv venv --python 3.12

# Install packages
uv pip install flask requests

# Compile requirements (like pip-compile)
uv pip compile requirements.in -o requirements.txt

# Sync environment to match requirements
uv pip sync requirements.txt

# Uninstall packages
uv pip uninstall flask

Common Flags

| Flag | Description | |---|---| | --python VERSION | Use specific Python version (e.g., 3.12, pypy@3.10) | | --with PACKAGE | Include additional packages (run/tool contexts) | | --no-project | Skip project context, run standalone | | --system | Install into system Python (CI/containers) | | --exclude-newer DATE | Limit to distributions released before date |

Gotchas

• uvx vs uv run for tools — uvx runs in an isolated environment. Use uv run when the tool needs access to your project (e.g., pytest, mypy).
• Package name vs command name — When they differ, use --from: uvx --from httpie http.
• Inline script metadata ignores project deps — Scripts with # /// script blocks run independently of the surrounding project. No need for --no-project.
• Automatic Python downloads — uv downloads Python on-demand by default. Disable with UV_PYTHON_DOWNLOADS=never or --no-managed-python.
• .venv naming — uv creates .venv by default. Use VIRTUAL_ENV=/path/to/venv to target a different environment.
• Lockfile format — uv.lock is TOML-based and managed automatically. Do not edit it manually.
• --system flag — Required when installing into non-virtual (system) Python. Skips virtualenv discovery.

References

• [01-projects](references/01-projects.md) — Project lifecycle: init, add, lock, sync, run, build
• [02-tools](references/02-tools.md) — Tool management: uvx, install, upgrade, list, uninstall
• [03-scripts](references/03-scripts.md) — Script execution, inline metadata (PEP 723), shebangs
• [04-python-versions](references/04-python-versions.md) — Python installation, discovery, pinning, upgrades
• [05-pip-interface](references/05-pip-interface.md) — pip-compatible commands: install, compile, sync, uninstall
• [06-workspaces](references/06-workspaces.md) — Multi-package workspace setup and management
• [07-resolution](references/07-resolution.md) — Resolution strategies, constraints, overrides, indexes

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: tangledgroup
• Source: tangledgroup/tangled-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.