How to use pyenv with reticulate

The reticulate package allows you to execute Python code from R. If you use pyenv to install Python the default options will not work with reticulate.

For example:

Sys.setenv(RETICULATE_PYTHON="/Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.11.1/bin/python")
library("reticulate")
py_discover_config()
# python:         /Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.11.1/bin/python
# libpython:      [NOT FOUND]
# pythonhome:     /Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.11.1:/Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.11.1
# version:        3.11.1 (main, Jan  5 2023, 15:09:14) [Clang 14.0.0 (clang-1400.0.29.202)]
# numpy:          /Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.11.1/lib/python3.11/site-packages/numpy
# numpy_version:  1.23.5

# NOTE: Python version was forced by RETICULATE_PYTHON
> os <- import("os")
# Error: Python shared library not found, Python bindings not loaded.
# Use reticulate::install_miniconda() if you'd like to install a Miniconda Python environment.

The problem is that when you install Python, you need to enable shared libraries. You can do this in pyenv with the following (see pyenv docs):

env PYTHON_CONFIGURE_OPTS="--enable-shared" pyenv install 3.10.12

Now, if you use the new Python binary reticulate will work:

Sys.setenv(RETICULATE_PYTHON="/Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.10.12/bin/python")
library("reticulate")
py_discover_config()
# python:         /Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.10.12/bin/python
# libpython:      /Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.10.12/lib/libpython3.10.dylib
# pythonhome:     /Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.10.12:/Users/samedwardes/.pyenv/versions/3.10.12
# version:        3.10.12 (main, Jul 13 2023, 09:53:58) [Clang 14.0.3 (clang-1403.0.22.14.1)]
# numpy:           [NOT FOUND]

# NOTE: Python version was forced by RETICULATE_PYTHON
os <- import("os")
os$listdir(".")
# [1] ".Renviron"        "requirements.txt" ".Rprofile"        "app.R"            ".venv"
# [6] "app.Rproj"        "renv.lock"        "renv"             ".Rproj.user"