Python Adventures

Problem
Python 3 on Ubuntu is sometimes a total mess. I wanted to create a Python 3 virt. env., but I got this error:

$ virtualenv -p python3 venv
Running virtualenv with interpreter /usr/bin/python3
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/virtualenv.py", line 8, in 
    import base64
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/base64.py", line 9, in 
    import re
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/re.py", line 324, in 
    import copyreg
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/copyreg.py", line 3, in 
    from copy_reg import *
ImportError: No module named 'copy_reg'
Error in sys.excepthook:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport_python_hook.py", line 53, in apport_excepthook
    if not enabled():
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport_python_hook.py", line 24, in enabled
    import re
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/re.py", line 324, in 
    import copyreg
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/copyreg.py", line 3, in 
    from copy_reg import *
ImportError: No module named 'copy_reg'

Original exception was:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/virtualenv.py", line 8, in 
    import base64
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/base64.py", line 9, in 
    import re
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/re.py", line 324, in 
    import copyreg
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/copyreg.py", line 3, in 
    from copy_reg import *
ImportError: No module named 'copy_reg'

Awesome! :(

Solution
I found a working solution here. The following command let me create a Python 3 virt. env.:

python3 -c 'import sys; del sys.argv[0]; s = sys.argv[0]; exec(open(s).read(), {"__file__": s, "__name__": "__main__"})' `which virtualenv` -p python3 venv 

Life on Arch / Manjaro is easier. There Python 3 has been the default for years.