Installing Python

Python is the base requirement for any devapp.

This base package requires minimum Python 3.7 but derived apps may require higher versions.

Python Environment

We highly recommend to not use the Python of your host system but install within a dedicated environment.

To install Python versions, there are many options, incl. miniconda, pyenv or packages of your distribution..

Subsequently we explain the two ways of installing and activating a specific Python version, which do not require root permissions and are contained within directories.

Conda

Conda or its lighther variant Miniconda is a binary package dependency management and deployment system.

It allows to install not only Python in any version under one base environment but also other resources, e.g. redis, nodejs or other databases, w/o "spamming" your filesystem outside of the base directory. This can be done conflict free, within prefixes (environments).

Conda is comparable to the homebrew packaging system but not dependent on a fixed directory within /usr/local. A localized homebrew is very similar to Conda (but restricted to OSX only, i.e. no option for us).

Installation is simple and described here.

On Linux:

curl 'https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh' -O install.sh
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh -b # installs non interactively into $HOME/miniconda3

# makes the conda command available (consider an alias within e.g. your .bashrc):
source miniconda3/etc/profile.d/conda.sh 

# we can now install any python version within the base environment like so:
conda  create -n py38  python=3.8
# and activate, not leaving your current shell process:
conda activate py38

Activation not required to run

Like with homebrew, any installed binary can be executed without previous activation of its environment.

Example: $HOME/miniconda3/envs/myredis/bin/redis-server will work.

Pyenv

If you "only" require Python, then pyenv is a more lightweight way than conda.

# install pyenv
git clone https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv ~/.pyenv

# setup pyenv (you should also put these three lines in .bashrc or similar)
export PATH="${HOME}/.pyenv/bin:${PATH}"
export PYENV_ROOT="${HOME}/.pyenv"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

# install Python 3.8
pyenv install 3.8

# make it available globally
pyenv global system 3.8