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Python is a general-purpose programming language that emphasizes readability. Python comes pre-installed on Whatbox servers.

Versions

A list of versions currently installed on Whatbox servers can be found on the software labs page for your server.

Installing Scripts and Modules

Most Python scripts and modules are installable by using a python install command with the included setup.py file or using the pip Python package manager. By default, these methods install packages system-wide, which is not possible with your Whatbox slot. You will need to use virtualenv to run any Python scripts or modules.

virtualenv

virtualenv is a tool to create isolated Python environments to address problems with dependencies, versions, and permissions between different modules and scripts. virtualenv can be compiled from source or installed using a user site installation of pip as shown above. With your virtualenv activated, you can use the pip install <package_name> command to install scripts and modules into that virtualenv.

More information about installing and using virtualenv can be found on its dedicated wiki page.

Learning

There are many tutorials and guides for learning the Python language. Bento and Hackr provide a list of many effective ones.