Jupyter Notebook with uv and VS Code

Step 1: Create and Initialize Your Project#

First, you'll create a new project directory and initialize it with uv.

1. Create a new project folder and move into it:

2. This command creates a virtual environment in a .venv directory and a pyproject.toml file for managing your project's dependencies.

Step 2: Add ipykernel#

To use a virtual environment as a Jupyter kernel in VS Code, you must have the ipykernel package installed in that environment.

Add ipykernel as a development dependency using the following command:

Step 3: Launch VS Code and Create a Notebook#

Now, you can open your project in VS Code and start a new notebook.

1. Open the project folder in VS Code from your terminal:

code .

2. Once VS Code is open, press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) to open the Command Palette.
3. Type "Create: New Jupyter Notebook" and press Enter.

Step 4: Select the Correct Kernel#

When you create the notebook, VS Code will prompt you to select a kernel.

1. Click on "Select Kernel" in the top-right corner of the notebook interface.

2. Choose "Python Environments".

3. Select the virtual environment you created with uv. The path will be similar to:

   • macOS/Linux: .venv/bin/python
   • Windows: .venv\Scripts\python.exe

Your notebook is now connected to your uv-managed environment. You can run code and install packages that will be isolated to this project.

Optional: Manage Dependencies from Within the Notebook#

You can manage your project's dependencies directly from a notebook cell by first adding uv itself as a dependency.

1. Add uv to your project:

2. Now, you can use shell commands (!) in a notebook cell to manage packages.

   • To add a package and update pyproject.toml:

• To install a package without updating project files: