Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between scoop and pyenv?

While both tools help you manage Python, they focus on different parts of the workflow:

pyenv is primarily a version manager. It focuses on:

• Installing multiple versions of the Python interpreter (e.g., 3.9.0, 3.12.1)
• Switching between them globally or per folder

scoop is an environment and workflow manager powered by uv. It focuses on:

• Creating and managing isolated virtual environments
• Fast project-specific environment workflows

Summary: You might use pyenv to install Python 3.11 on your machine, but you use scoop to actually build and run your application within a lightning-fast virtual environment using that Python version.

Can I use scoop with conda environments?

Not directly. They serve different purposes and operate independently:

conda is a package and environment manager. It handles:

• Its own binaries and non-Python dependencies
• Heavy data science libraries (MKL, CUDA, cuDNN, etc.)

scoop is a lightweight environment manager powered by uv. It:

• Leverages your existing Python installations
• Creates fast, portable virtual environments

When to use what: For heavy data science requiring non-Python libraries → conda. For almost everything else → scoop (significantly faster and more portable).

How do I uninstall scoop completely?

To remove scoop from your system:

1. Delete the data folder

rm -rf ~/.scoop

2. Remove the shell hook

Edit your shell config file and remove the scoop init line:

3. (Optional) Remove config

rm -rf ~/.config/scoop

4. Restart your terminal

Does scoop work on Windows?

Yes! Since scoop is built on top of uv, it has excellent cross-platform support.

You can use it via:

• PowerShell (Recommended)
• Command Prompt (cmd.exe)
• Git Bash or WSL

Note: Make sure to follow the Windows-specific shell integration steps in the Installation guide.