Dev Container — Python

Name: python
Rating: 88
Author: Tyler-R-Kendrick

Overview

Configure a dev container for Python development using the official Python feature or base image. Supports version selection, tool installation via pipx, virtual environments, and JupyterLab.

Python Feature

jsonc

{
  "features": {
    "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/python:1": {
      "version": "3.12"
    }
  }
}

Feature Options

Option	Default	Description
`version`	`latest`	Python version (`3.12`, `3.11`, `latest`, `os-provided`, `none`)
`installTools`	`true`	Install tools listed in `toolsToInstall` via pipx
`toolsToInstall`	`flake8,autopep8,black,yapf,mypy,pydocstyle,pycodestyle,bandit,pipenv,virtualenv,pytest,pylint`	Comma-separated tools
`installJupyterlab`	`false`	Install JupyterLab
`optimize`	`false`	Compile Python with optimizations (slower build)
`installPath`	`/usr/local/python`	Installation directory

Full Example

jsonc

{
  "name": "Python 3.12 Development",
  "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/python:3.12",
  "features": {
    "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/github-cli:1": {}
  },
  "forwardPorts": [8000],
  "portsAttributes": {
    "8000": { "label": "App", "onAutoForward": "notify" },
    "8888": { "label": "Jupyter", "onAutoForward": "notify" }
  },
  "postCreateCommand": "pip install -r requirements.txt",
  "customizations": {
    "vscode": {
      "extensions": [
        "ms-python.python",
        "ms-python.vscode-pylance",
        "ms-python.black-formatter",
        "charliermarsh.ruff"
      ],
      "settings": {
        "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "/usr/local/bin/python",
        "[python]": {
          "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
          "editor.formatOnSave": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Using the Base Image vs Feature

Approach	When to Use
`"image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/python:3.12"`	Python-only projects
Base image + `ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/python:1`	Multi-language projects

Virtual Environments

jsonc

{
  "postCreateCommand": "python -m venv .venv && . .venv/bin/activate && pip install -r requirements.txt",
  "containerEnv": {
    "VIRTUAL_ENV": "/workspace/.venv",
    "PATH": "/workspace/.venv/bin:${containerEnv:PATH}"
  }
}

JupyterLab

jsonc

{
  "features": {
    "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/python:1": {
      "version": "3.12",
      "installJupyterlab": true
    }
  },
  "forwardPorts": [8888],
  "postStartCommand": "jupyter lab --ip=0.0.0.0 --no-browser --NotebookApp.token=''"
}

Poetry / uv / PDM

For modern package managers, install them in postCreateCommand:

jsonc

{
  "postCreateCommand": "pip install uv && uv sync",
  "containerEnv": {
    "UV_LINK_MODE": "copy"
  }
}

Best Practices

•Use the dedicated mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/python image for Python-only projects.
•Pin the Python version to a minor release (3.12, 3.11) for reproducibility.
•Prefer Ruff over separate flake8/black installs — it replaces multiple tools with a single fast one.
•Use postCreateCommand for pip install so dependencies are cached in Codespaces prebuilds.
•Set python.defaultInterpreterPath in VS Code settings to avoid interpreter selection prompts.
•For data science projects, enable installJupyterlab in the feature and forward port 8888.
•Use containerEnv to configure VIRTUAL_ENV if your project expects a venv.