Misleading error creating python virtual environment, says need to install python3.11-venv

[thewade]

On Ubuntu 24.04 when I try to create a virtual environment I get this error:

$ python3 -m venv pyenv
The virtual environment was not created successfully because ensurepip is not
available. On Debian/Ubuntu systems, you need to install the python3-venv
package using the following command.

    apt install python3.11-venv

You may need to use sudo with that command. After installing the python3-venv
package, recreate your virtual environment.

I am running the python3 version included with the distro

$ python3 --version
Python 3.12.3

The error suggests I install python3.11-venv however that package does not exist in 24.04 and what I need to install is python3-venv instead.

[Hans Joachim Desserud (hjd)]

Thanks for taking your time to report this issue and help making Ubuntu better.

I was unable to reproduce this issue. I get the same message, but the suggestion is `apt install python3.12-venv`. That's more expected, since as you mentioned Python 3.11 was removed before release of 24.04 (https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/python3.11/+publishinghistory)

The python3 binary is a symlink to the actual python version handled by python3-defaults, so I've taken the liberty of moving this bug report there. It would be interesting to see which package version you are running. My system lists
$ dpkg -S `command -v python3`
python3-minimal: /usr/bin/python3
$ apt policy python3-minimal
python3-minimal:
  Installed: 3.12.3-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 3.12.3-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 3.12.3-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

And or run `apport-collect 2065422` which will add additional debug information to the bug report. I'm curious whether this is a fresh install or upgrade from an older Ubuntu release.

[thewade (wade-penner)]

It was an upgrade from 20.04.

$ dpkg -S `command -v python3`
python3-minimal: /usr/bin/python3

$ apt policy python3-minimal
python3-minimal:
  Installed: 3.12.3-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 3.12.3-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 3.12.3-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

I just tried the same from a clean install and I did not see the issue.

[Hans Joachim Desserud (hjd)]

Hm... might be due to it being an upgrade with some packages or config lingering. That explains why I didn't see it because I tested on a clean install as well. Could you please check
$ ls -la `command -v python3`
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Apr 12 15:29 /usr/bin/python3 -> python3.12

whether it is pointing to python3.11 somehow?