Jupyter Notebook with uv and VS Code

08 Apr 2026

2 min read

Python
Jupyter
uv
VS Code

Learn how to set up a Jupyter notebook project with uv for fast, reliable dependency management and VS Code for a great development experience.

Step 1: Create and Initialize Your Project

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

Create a new project folder and move into it:

code

uv init my-notebook-project
cd my-notebook-project

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:

code

uv add --dev ipykernel

Step 3: Launch VS Code and Create a Notebook

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

Open the project folder in VS Code from your terminal:

code

code .

Once VS Code is open, press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) to open the Command Palette.
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.

Click on "Select Kernel" in the top-right corner of the notebook interface.
Choose "Python Environments".
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.

Add uv to your project:

code

uv add --dev uv

Now, you can use shell commands (!) in a notebook cell to manage packages.
- To add a package and update pyproject.toml:

code

!uv add pydantic

To install a package without updating project files:

code

!uv pip install pandas

Step 1: Create and Initialize Your Project

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

Create a new project folder and move into it:

code

uv init my-notebook-project
cd my-notebook-project

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

Step 4: Select the Correct Kernel

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

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

Choose "Python Environments".

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.

Add uv to your project:

code

uv add --dev uv

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

To add a package and update pyproject.toml:

code

!uv add pydantic

To install a package without updating project files:

code

!uv pip install pandas