
Using Python on Unix platforms
******************************


Getting and installing the latest version of Python
===================================================


On Linux
--------

Python comes preinstalled on most Linux distributions, and is
available as a package on all others.  However there are certain
features you might want to use that are not available on your distro's
package.  You can easily compile the latest version of Python from
source.

In the event that Python doesn't come preinstalled and isn't in the
repositories as well, you can easily make packages for your own
distro.  Have a look at the following links:

See also:

   http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/maint-guide/first.en.html
      for Debian users

   http://linuxmafia.com/pub/linux/suse-linux-internals/chapter35.html
      for OpenSuse users

   http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-
   US/Fedora_Draft_Documentation/0.1/html/RPM_Guide/ch-creating-
   rpms.html
      for Fedora users

   http://www.slackbook.org/html/package-management-making-
   packages.html
      for Slackware users


On FreeBSD and OpenBSD
----------------------

* FreeBSD users, to add the package use:

     pkg_add -r python

* OpenBSD users use:

     pkg_add ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4.2/packages/<insert your architecture here>/python-<version>.tgz

  For example i386 users get the 2.5.1 version of Python using:

     pkg_add ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4.2/packages/i386/python-2.5.1p2.tgz


On OpenSolaris
--------------

To install the newest Python versions on OpenSolaris, install
blastwave and type ``pkg_get -i python`` at the prompt.


Building Python
===============

If you want to compile CPython yourself, first thing you should do is
get the source. You can download either the latest release's source or
just grab a fresh clone.  (If you want to contribute patches, you will
need a clone.)

The build process consists in the usual

   ./configure
   make
   make install

invocations. Configuration options and caveats for specific Unix
platforms are extensively documented in the README file in the root of
the Python source tree.

Warning: ``make install`` can overwrite or masquerade the ``python`` binary.
  ``make altinstall`` is therefore recommended instead of ``make
  install`` since it only installs
  ``*exec_prefix*/bin/python*version*``.


Python-related paths and files
==============================

These are subject to difference depending on local installation
conventions; ``prefix`` (``${prefix}``) and ``exec_prefix``
(``${exec_prefix}``) are installation-dependent and should be
interpreted as for GNU software; they may be the same.

For example, on most Linux systems, the default for both is ``/usr``.

+-------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| File/directory                                  | Meaning                                    |
+=================================================+============================================+
| ``*exec_prefix*/bin/python``                    | Recommended location of the interpreter.   |
+-------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| ``*prefix*/lib/python*version*``,               | Recommended locations of the directories   |
| ``*exec_prefix*/lib/python*version*``           | containing the standard modules.           |
+-------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| ``*prefix*/include/python*version*``,           | Recommended locations of the directories   |
| ``*exec_prefix*/include/python*version*``       | containing the include files needed for    |
|                                                 | developing Python extensions and embedding |
|                                                 | the interpreter.                           |
+-------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| ``~/.pythonrc.py``                              | User-specific initialization file loaded   |
|                                                 | by the user module; not used by default or |
|                                                 | by most applications.                      |
+-------------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+


Miscellaneous
=============

To easily use Python scripts on Unix, you need to make them
executable, e.g. with

   $ chmod +x script

and put an appropriate Shebang line at the top of the script.  A good
choice is usually

   #!/usr/bin/env python

which searches for the Python interpreter in the whole ``PATH``.
However, some Unices may not have the **env** command, so you may need
to hardcode ``/usr/bin/python`` as the interpreter path.

To use shell commands in your Python scripts, look at the
``subprocess`` module.


Editors
=======

Vim and Emacs are excellent editors which support Python very well.
For more information on how to code in Python in these editors, look
at:

* http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=790

* http://sourceforge.net/projects/python-mode

Geany is an excellent IDE with support for a lot of languages. For
more information, read: http://geany.uvena.de/

Komodo edit is another extremely good IDE.  It also has support for a
lot of languages. For more information, read: http://www.activestate.c
om/store/productdetail.aspx?prdGuid=20f4ed15-6684-4118-a78b-
d37ff4058c5f
