virtualenv "pinned" to setuptools-0.9.8 even when a superior setuptools is installed

[frgomes]

I don't know if it's a bug or feature, but seems like a new virtual environment has always setuptools-0.9.8 installed on it, even when a more recent version of setuptools is installed. This is inconvenient, because setuptools-0.9.8 has some known bugs which are now fixed on more recent versions.

I can circumvent the trouble by uninstalling setuptools just after creating a new virtual environment.
In this case, the version of setuptools I've installed into system packages becomes visible again.

[pfmoore]

Just do pip install -U setuptools.

The reason for the fixed version is to avoid virtualenv calling out to the internet insecurely, which was an issue with the installation process prior to this fix.

I am planning on looking at switching virtualenv to bundle wheels and install from those. When that change lands (it depends on some patches to pip that aren't live yet) it would be possible to allow installation from PyPI again - I'll take that option into consideration when implementing that.

[frgomes]

Maybe, for the time being, virtualenv could simply skip installation of setuptools when a more recent version is already installed?

In my case, I actually "pip uninstall setuptools" just after I create a new virtual environment.
Then the system installed version setuptools-1.1.7 becomes visible again.

Thanks :)

[qwcode]

know that you can use --extra-search-dir to get an alternative version of setuptools.
for awhile that was broke, but it's working in 1.10.1