# Configure a Python SDK > **Note:** > Make sure that the [Python plugin](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/631-python) is [installed and enabled](managing-plugins.html). The plugin implements all the features of [PyCharm](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/pycharm/), the standalone IDE for Python developers. For more information about the supported features, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/). To develop Python scripts in IntelliJ IDEA, download and install [Python](http://www.python.org/) and configure at least one Python SDK. A Python SDK can be specified as a Python interpreter for a [Python project](creating-empty-python-project.html). IntelliJ IDEA supports: * Standard [Python interpreters](http://python.org/) * [PyPy](http://pypy.org/) To view the list of available SDKs, choose `File | Project Structure` from the main menu `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). Python SDKs can be configured on the following levels: Platform level: The selected SDK can be used for all Python projects. ![Show available Python SDKs](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_sdk_packages.png) Project level: The selected SDK will be used for the current project and all its modules. ![Change a Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/python_plugin_change_sdk.png) Module level: The selected SDK will be used for the current project module. ![Manage Python SDK modules](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/python_plugin_sdk_module.png) To easily tell them from each other, enter different names in the Name field. For more information about SDK configuration, refer to [SDKs](sdk.html). To add a Python SDK, you must configure a Python interpreter. Regardless of the level, you can configure a local or a remote Python interpreter. ## Configure local Python interpreters To configure a local Python interpreter, adhere to one of the following procedures: Procedure: Create a virtualenv environment 1. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 2. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 3. The following actions depend on whether you want to generate a new virtual environment or to use an existing one. New virtualenv environment : ![Generate new virtualenv environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_new_virtualenv_environment.png) : : 1. Select Virtualenv from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : Select the base interpreter from the list, or click ![Choose the base interpreter](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) and find the Python executable in your file system. : : : : 3. Specify the location of the new virtual environment in the Location field, or click ![Virtual environment location](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) and browse for the location in your file system. The directory for the new virtual environment should be empty. : : 4. : : Select the Inherit packages from base interpreter checkbox if you want all packages installed in the global Python on your machine to be added to the virtual environment you're going to create. This checkbox corresponds to the `--system-site-packages` option of the [virtualenv](http://www.virtualenv.org/en/latest/index.html) tool. : : : : 5. Select the Make available to all projects checkbox if you want to reuse this environment when creating Python interpreters in IntelliJ IDEA. Existing virtualenv environment : ![Select existing virtualenv environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_existing_virtualenv_environment.png) : : * Select Python from the list of environment types. : : * Select the required interpreter from the list. If the required interpreter is not on the list, click ![](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.ellipsis.svg), and then browse for the required Python executable (for example, `venv/bin/python` on macOS or `venv\Scripts\python.exe` on Windows). : : : : The selected virtual environment will be reused for the current project. 4. Click OK to complete the task. > **Note:** > If IntelliJ IDEA displays the Invalid environment warning, it means that the specified Python binary cannot be found in the file system, or the Python version is [not supported](python.html#support). Check the Python path and [install a new version](https://www.python.org/downloads/), if needed. For more information, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/creating-virtual-environment.html). Procedure: Create a conda environment 1. Ensure that [Anaconda](https://www.continuum.io/) or [Miniconda](https://conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html) is downloaded and installed on your computer, and you are aware of a path to its executable file. For more information, refer to the [installation instructions](https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/). 2. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 3. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 4. The following actions depend on whether you want to create a new conda environment or to use an existing one. New conda environment : ![Generate new conda environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_new_conda_environment.png) : : 1. Select Conda from the list of environment types. : : 2. Select the Python version from the list. : : 3. Specify the environment name. : : 4. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a conda installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA did not detect the installation automatically, specify the location of the conda executable, or click ![Conda executable location](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. Existing conda environment : ![Select existing conda environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_existing_conda_environment.png) : : 1. Select Conda from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a conda installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA did not detect the installation automatically, specify the location of the conda executable, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. : : : : 3. Select the environment from the list. : : : : The selected conda environment will be reused for the current project. 5. Click OK to complete the task. For more information, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/conda-support-creating-conda-virtual-environment.html). Procedure: Create a pipenv environment 1. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 2. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 3. Select Pipenv from the list of environment types. ![Generate new pipenv environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_new_pipenv_environment.png) 4. Select the base interpreter from the list, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) and find the Python executable in your file system. 5. If you have added the base binary directory to your `PATH` environmental variable, you do not need to set any additional options: the path to the pipenv executable will be autodetected. If IntelliJ IDEA does not detect the pipenv executable, click Install pipenv via pip to allow IntelliJ IDEA to install it for you automatically. Alternatively, follow the [pipenv installation procedure](null) to discover the executable path and then specify it in the dialog. 6. Click OK to complete the task. > **Note:** > If IntelliJ IDEA displays the Invalid environment warning, it means that the specified Python binary cannot be found in the file system, or the Python version is [not supported](python.html#support). Check the Python path and [install a new version](https://www.python.org/downloads/), if needed. When you have set the pipenv virtual environment as a Python interpreter, all available packages are added from the source defined in `[Pipfile](null)`. The packages are installed, removed, and updated in the list of the packages through pipenv rather than through pip. For more information, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/pipenv.html). Procedure: Create a Poetry environment 1. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 2. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 3. The following actions depend on whether you want to create a new Poetry environment or to use an existing one. New Poetry environment : ![Generate new poetry environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_new_poetry_environment.png) : : 1. Select Poetry from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : Select the base interpreter from the list or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) and find the Python executable in your file system. : : : : 3. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a Poetry installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA does not detect the Poetry installation, click Install poetry via pip to allow IntelliJ IDEA to install Poetry for you automatically. : : : : Alternatively, specify the location of the Poetry executable, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. : : : : 4. To create a virtual environment within the project directory, select the Create an in-project environment checkbox. Existing Poetry environment : ![Select existing poetry environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_existing_poetry_environment.png) : : 1. Select Poetry from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a Poetry installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA did not detect the installation automatically, specify the location of the executable, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. : : : : 3. : : Select the environment from the list. : : : : The selected Poetry environment will be reused for the current project. 4. Click OK to complete the task. For more information, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/poetry.html). Procedure: Create a uv environment 1. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 2. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 3. The following actions depend on whether you want to generate a new virtual environment or to use an existing one. New uv environment : ![Generate new uv environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_new_uv_environment.png) : : 1. Select uv from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : Select the base interpreter from the list, or click ![Choose the base interpreter](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) and find the Python executable in your file system. : : : : 3. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a uv installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA did not detect the installation automatically, specify the location of the uv executable, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. Existing uv environment : ![Select existing uv environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_existing_uv_environment.png) : : 1. Select uv from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a uv installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA did not detect the installation automatically, specify the location of the uv executable, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. : : : : 3. Select the environment from the list. : : : : The selected uv environment will be reused for the current project. 4. Click OK to complete the task. For more information, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/uv.html). Procedure: Create a Hatch environment 1. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 2. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 3. The following actions depend on whether you want to generate a new virtual environment or to use an existing one. New Hatch environment : ![Generate new Hatch environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_new_hatch_environment.png) : : 1. Select Hatch from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a Hatch installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA did not detect the installation automatically, specify the location of the Hatch executable, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. : : : : 3. : : Select an environment. : : : : Hatch environments are workspaces designed for various project-specific tasks. If no environment is explicitly selected, Hatch will use the [default : environment](https://hatch.pypa.io/latest/tutorials/environment/basic-usage/). : : : : 4. : : Select the base interpreter from the list, or click ![Choose the base interpreter](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) and find the Python executable in your file system. Existing Hatch environment : ![Select existing Hatch environment](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_existing_hatch_environment.png) : : 1. Select Hatch from the list of environment types. : : 2. : : IntelliJ IDEA will detect a Hatch installation. : : : : If IntelliJ IDEA did not detect the installation automatically, specify the location of the Hatch executable, or click ![Browse...](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.inline.browse.svg) to browse for it. : : : : 3. Select the environment from the list. 4. Click OK to complete the task. For more information, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/hatch.html). ## Configure remote Python interpreters To configure a remote Python interpreter: Procedure: Configure a WSL interpreter 1. Click the Windows button in the lower-left corner of the screen and start typing `System Information`. To ensure that your system works well with WSL, upgrade your Windows to the latest available version. 2. Install the Windows Subsystem for Linux and initialize your Linux distribution as described in the [WSL Installation Guide](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10). 3. If your Linux distribution doesn't come with rsync, you need to install it: debian: `sudo apt install rsync` arch: `sudo pacman -S rsync` > **Note:** > When working with WSL 2, mind the following known WSL issues: > > > > * [Add "allow" rule to Windows firewall for WSL2 network](https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/4585) > > * [stdin is explicitly closed for Python process](https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/4424) > > * Debugger doesn't work properly if firewall is not opened for WSL IP. 4. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 5. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 6. Select WSL from the list of environment types. 7. Select the Linux distribution with the required Python interpreter. 8. In Python interpreter path field, specify the path to the Python executable. You can accept the default, type in a different path, or click ![the Browse button](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.ellipsis.svg) to browse. ![Add a remote interpreter using WSL](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/py_interpreter_wsl.png) 9. Click OK. The configured remote interpreter is added to the list. Procedure: Configure an interpreter using SSH > **Warning:** > You cannot use a Windows machine as a remote host when configuring SSH interpreters. 1. Ensure that there is an SSH server running on a remote host, since IntelliJ IDEA runs remote interpreters via ssh-sessions. 2. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 3. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 4. Select New server configuration, then specify server information (host, port, and username). ![adding an interpreter via SSH](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_interpreter_ssh_add.png) Alternatively, you can select Existing server configuration and choose any available deployment configuration from the list. ![existing configurations](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_existing_ssh_configuration.png) If needed, click ![the Browse button](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.ellipsis.svg) to review the [Connection settings](deployment-connection-tab.html), [Mappings](deployment-mappings-tab.html), and [Excluded paths](deployment-excluded-paths-tab.html) for the selected deployment configuration. Click Next to continue configuring an interpreter. 5. In the next dialog window, provide the authentication details to connect to the target server. ![specifying authentication details](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/py_ssh_target_2.png) Select Password or Key pair (OpenSSH or PuTTY) and enter your password or passphrase. If Key pair (OpenSSH or PuTTY) is selected, specify: * Private key: location of the file with a private key * Passphrase: similar to a password, it serves to [encrypt the private key](https://www.ssh.com/ssh/passphrase). Click Next to proceed. 6. In the next dialog window, verify the path to the desired Python interpreter. You can accept the default, or specify a different one. You have to configure the path mappings between your local project and the server. To do that, click ![the Browse button](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.ellipsis.svg) next to the Sync folders field and enter the path to the local project folder and the path to the folder on the remote server. ![Setting SSH mappings](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/py_interpreter_ssh_mappings.png) You can also select the checkbox to enable automatic upload of the local changes to the remote server. 7. Click OK. The configured remote interpreter is added to the list. Procedure: Configure an interpreter using Docker 1. Make sure that the following prerequisites are met: * Docker is installed, as described in the [Docker documentation](https://docs.docker.com). * You have stable Internet connection, so that IntelliJ IDEA can download and run `busybox:latest` (the latest version of the [BusyBox Docker Official Image](https://hub.docker.com/_/busybox)). Once you have successfully configured an interpreter using Docker, you can go offline. > **Note:** > You cannot install any Python packages into Docker-based project interpreters. 2. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 3. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 4. Select Docker from the list of environment types. ![Adding a Python interpreter using Docker](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/interpreter_docker_empty.png) 5. Select an existing Docker configuration in the Docker server dropdown. Alternatively, click New and perform the following steps to create a new Docker configuration: Create a Docker configuration : Click ![The Add button](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg) to add a Docker configuration and specify how to connect to the Docker daemon. : : : : : : The connection settings depend on your Docker version and operating system. For more information, refer to [Docker connection settings](settings-docker.html). : : : : : : The Connection successful message should appear at the bottom of the dialog. : : : : : : ![The Docker connection settings for interpreter](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/interpreter_docker_config.png) : : For more information about mapping local paths to the virtual machine running the Docker daemon when using Docker on Windows or macOS, refer to [Virtual machine path mappings for Windows and macOS hosts](settings-docker.html#virtual-machine-path). You will not be able to use volumes and bind mounts for directories outside of the mapped local path. : : : : : : This table is not available on a Linux host, where Docker runs natively and you can mount any directory to the container. 6. Specify the image and the path to the Python executable: ![Configuring a Python interpreter using Docker](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/interpreter_docker_final.png) 7. Click OK. The configured remote interpreter is added to the list. Procedure: Configure an interpreter using Docker Compose 1. Make sure that the following prerequisites are met: * Docker is installed, as described in the [Docker documentation](https://docs.docker.com). * You have stable Internet connection, so that IntelliJ IDEA can download and run `busybox:latest` (the latest version of the [BusyBox Docker Official Image](https://hub.docker.com/_/busybox)). Once you have successfully configured an interpreter using Docker, you can go offline. > **Note:** > You cannot install any Python packages into Docker-based project interpreters. 2. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 3. In the Project Structure dialog, select SDKs under the Platform Settings section, click ![Add a new SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and choose Add Python SDK from disk... from the popup menu. The Add Python Interpreter dialog will open. ![Adding a new Python SDK](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_add_Python_sdk.png) 4. Select Docker Compose from the list of environment types. ![Adding a Python interpreter using Docker Compose](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/interpreter_docker_compose_empty.png) 5. Select Docker configuration in the Server dropdown. 6. Specify the `docker-compose.yml` file in Configuration files and select the service. ![Configuring a Python interpreter using Docker Compose](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/interpreter_docker_compose_final.png) Optionally, specify [environment variables](https://docs.docker.com/compose/environment-variables/) and edit the [Compose project name](https://docs.docker.com/compose/reference/#use--p-to-specify-a-project-name). 7. Finally, specify the path to the Python executable: ![Configuring a Python interpreter using Docker Compose](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/interpreter_docker_compose_final2.png) 8. Click OK. The configured remote interpreter is added to the list. For more information about remote Python interpreters, refer to the [PyCharm documentation](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/using-docker-as-a-remote-interpreter.html). ## Remove Python interpreters If you no longer need a Python interpreter for a project, you can remove it from the project settings. Procedure: 1. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 2. In the Project Structure dialog, click SDKs node under Platform Settings. 3. Choose the interpreter that you want to remove and click ![Remove Interpreter](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.remove.svg). ![Remove a Python interpreter](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/ij_remove_python_interpreter.png) ## Manage interpreter paths IntelliJ IDEA makes it possible to add paths to the selected interpreter. These paths will be added to the environment variable `PYTHONPATH`. IntelliJ IDEA will index these paths and resolve the objects of the code (for example, imports of packages). Procedure: View interpreter paths 1. Navigate to `File | Project Structure` or press `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Windows), `⌘ ;` (macOS), `⌘ ;` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ;` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ;` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ ;` (Eclipse (macOS)). 2. In the Project Structure dialog, click SDKs node under Platform Settings. 3. Select the interpreter. 4. View the interpreter paths in the Classpath tab: ![Classpath tab](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/project_structure_python_plugin_sdks.png) Procedure: Add an interpreter path 1. In the Classpath tab, click ![Add](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg). 2. Specify the path in the dialog that opens. Note that to add a path to a particular Python version you need to download it from [https://www.python.org/](https://www.python.org/) and install it on your machine. Procedure: Delete interpreter paths 1. Select the paths to be deleted in the Classpath tab. 2. Click ![Remove](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.remove.svg). > **Note:** > For any of the configured Python interpreters (but Docker-based), you can [Install, uninstall, and upgrade packages](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/help/pycharm/installing-uninstalling-and-upgrading-packages.html)