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Installing and using dynamic programming languages

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10

Installing and using Python and PHP in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10

Red Hat Customer Content Services

Abstract

Install and use Python 3. Install the PHP scripting language, use PHP with the Apache HTTP Server or the ngninx web server, and run a PHP script from a command-line interface.

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Chapter 1. Installing and using Python
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Python is a high-level programming language that supports multiple programming paradigms, such as object-oriented, imperative, functional, and procedural paradigms. Python has dynamic semantics and can be used for general-purpose programming.

With Red Hat Enterprise Linux, many packages that are installed on the system, such as packages providing system tools, tools for data analysis, or web applications, are written in Python. To use these packages, you must have the python* packages installed.

1.1. Python versions
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To select the appropriate environment for developing and running your applications, review Python versions available in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10.

Python 3.12 is the default Python implementation in RHEL 10. Python 3.12 is distributed in a non-modular python3 RPM package in the BaseOS repository and is usually installed by default. Python 3.12 will be supported for the whole life cycle of RHEL 10.

Additional versions of Python 3 will be distributed as non-modular RPM packages with a shorter life cycle through the AppStream repository in minor RHEL 10 releases. You will be able to install these additional Python 3 versions in parallel with Python 3.12.

The unversioned python command points to the default Python 3.12 version.

For details about the length of support, see Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Application Streams Life Cycle.

1.2. Installing Python 3
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To develop and run Python applications, install Python 3 on your RHEL 10 system.

The default Python implementation is usually installed by default. However, you can also install it manually.

Procedure

  • To install Python 3.12, enter: 

    # dnf install python3

Verification

  • Verify the Python version installed on your system: 

    $ python3 --version

1.3. Installing additional Python 3 packages
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To extend the capabilities of your applications and scripts, install additional Python 3 packages on your RHEL 10 system.

Packages prefixed with python3- contain add-on modules for the default Python 3.12 version.

Procedure

  • To install, for example, the Requests module for Python 3.12, enter: 

    # dnf install python3-requests

  • To install the pip package installer from Python 3.12, enter: 

    # dnf install python3-pip

To get additional Python tools for developers distributed through the CodeReady Linux Builder (CRB) repository, install the python3 packages that provide these tools.

Important

The content in the CodeReady Linux Builder repository is unsupported by Red Hat.

The CRB repository contains, for example, the following packages:

  • python3-pytest
  • python3-idle
  • python3-debug
  • python3-cython
Note

Not all upstream Python-related packages are available in RHEL.

Procedure

  1. Enable the CodeReady Linux Builder repository: 

    # subscription-manager repos --enable codeready-builder-for-rhel-10-x86_64-rpms

  2. Install, for example, the python3-cython package: 

    # dnf install python3-cython

1.5. Using Python
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To install or interact with packages providing system tools, tools for data analysis, or web applications written in Python, run the Python interpreter or Python-related commands.

Prerequisites

  • Python is installed.

  • If you want to download and install third-party applications, install the python3-pip package.

    Warning

    Installing Python packages with pip as the root user places files in system locations. This can override RHEL libraries and might cause system instability or conflicts with supported packages. Red Hat does not support software installed by using pip at the system level. To avoid these issues, use pip within a virtual environment or install packages as a non-root user with the --user option.

Procedure

  • To run the Python 3.12 interpreter or related commands, use, for example, the following commands: 

    $ python3
$ python3 -m venv --help
$ python3 -m pip install <package>
$ pip3 install <package>

Chapter 2. Packaging Python 3 RPMs
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You can install Python packages on your system by using the DNF package manager. DNF uses the RPM package format, which offers more downstream control over the software.

Packaging a Python project into an RPM package provides the following advantages compared to native Python packages:

  • Dependencies on Python and non-Python packages are possible and strictly enforced by the DNF package manager.
  • You can cryptographically sign the packages. With cryptographic signing, you can verify, integrate, and test contents of RPM packages with the rest of the operating system.
  • You can run tests during the build process.

The packaging format of native Python packages is defined by Python Packaging Authority (PyPA) Specifications. Historically, most Python projects used the distutils or setuptools utilities for packaging and defined package information in the setup.py file. However, possibilities of creating native Python packages have evolved over time:

  • To package Python software that uses the setup.py file, follow this document.
  • To package more modern packages with pyproject.toml files, see the README file in pyproject-rpm-macros. Note that pyproject-rpm-macros is included in the CodeReady Linux Builder (CRB) repository, which contains unsupported packages, and it can change over time to support newer Python packaging standards.

Review the notes about Python RPM spec file specifics in the following example of the python3-pello package.

The RPM spec file for Python projects has some specifics compared to non-Python RPM spec files. For example, it is recommended for any RPM package name of a Python library to include the python3- prefix.

Example 2.1. An example SPEC file for the program written in Python

%global python3_pkgversion 3

Name:           python-pello
Version:        1.0.2
Release:        1%{?dist}
Summary:        Example Python library

License:        MIT
URL:            https://github.com/fedora-python/Pello
Source:         %{url}/archive/v%{version}/Pello-%{version}.tar.gz

BuildArch:      noarch
BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-devel

# Build dependencies need to be specified manually
BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-setuptools

# Test dependencies need to be specified manually
# Runtime dependencies need to be BuildRequired manually to run tests during build
BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-pytest >= 3


%global _description %{expand:
Pello is an example package with an executable that prints Hello World! on the command line.}

%description %_description

%package -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-pello
Summary:        %{summary}

%description -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-pello %_description


%prep
%autosetup -p1 -n Pello-%{version}


%build
# The macro only supports projects with setup.py
%py3_build


%install
# The macro only supports projects with setup.py
%py3_install


%check
%pytest


# Note that there is no %%files section for python-pello
%files -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-pello
%doc README.md
%license LICENSE.txt
%{_bindir}/pello_greeting

# The library files needed to be listed manually
%{python3_sitelib}/pello/

# The metadata files needed to be listed manually
%{python3_sitelib}/Pello-*.egg-info/
  • By defining the python3_pkgversion macro, you set which Python version this package will be built for. To build for the default Python version 3.12, remove the line.
  • When packaging a Python project into RPM, always add the python- prefix to the original name of the project. The project name here is Pello and, therefore, the name of the Source RPM (SRPM) is python-pello.
  • BuildRequires specifies what packages are required to build and test this package. In BuildRequires, always include items providing tools necessary for building Python packages: python3-devel and the relevant projects needed by the specific software that you package, for example, python3-setuptools or the runtime and testing dependencies needed to run the tests in the %check section.
  • When choosing a name for the binary RPM (the package that users will be able to install), add a versioned Python prefix. Use the python3- prefix for the default Python 3.12. You can use the %{python3_pkgversion} macro, which evaluates to 3 for the default Python version 3.12 unless you set it to an explicit version, for example, when a later version of Python is available (see footnote 1).

  • The %py3_build and %py3_install macros run the setup.py build and setup.py install commands, respectively, with additional arguments to specify installation locations, the interpreter to use, and other details.

    Note

    Using the setup.py build and setup.py install commands from the setuptools package is deprecated and will be removed in the future major RHEL release. You can use pyproject-rpm-macros instead.

  • The %check section runs the tests of the packaged project. The exact command depends on the project itself, but you can use the %pytest macro to run the pytest command in an RPM-friendly way.

2.2. Common macros for Python 3 RPMs
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In a Python RPM spec file, always use the macros for Python 3 RPMs rather than hardcoding their values.

You can redefine which Python 3 version is used in these macros by defining the python3_pkgversion macro on top of your spec file. For more information, see A spec file description for an example Python package. If you define the python3_pkgversion macro, the values of the macros described in the following table will reflect the specified Python 3 version.

Expand
Table 2.1. Macros for Python 3 RPMs
MacroNormal DefinitionDescription

%{python3_pkgversion}

3

The Python version that is used by all other macros. Can be redefined to any future Python versions that will be added.

%{python3}

/usr/bin/python3

The Python 3 interpreter.

%{python3_version}

3.12

The major.minor version of the Python 3 interpreter.

%{python3_sitelib}

/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages

The location where pure-Python modules are installed.

%{python3_sitearch}

/usr/lib64/python3.12/site-packages

The location where modules containing architecture-specific extension modules are installed.

%py3_build

 

Expands to the setup.py build command with arguments suitable for an RPM package.

%py3_install

 

Expands to the setup.py install command with arguments suitable for an RPM package.

%{py3_shebang_flags}

sP

The default set of flags for the Python interpreter directives macro, %py3_shebang_fix.

%py3_shebang_fix

 

Changes Python interpreter directives to #! %{python3}, preserves any existing flags (if found), and adds flags defined in the %{py3_shebang_flags} macro.

Enable automatic generation of dependencies for Python RPMs by using upstream-provided metadata.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. Include one of the following directories in the resulting RPM:

    • .dist-info

    • .egg-info

      The RPM build process automatically generates virtual pythonX.Ydist provides from these directories, for example: 

      python3.12dist(pello)

      The Python dependency generator then reads the upstream metadata and generates runtime requirements for each RPM package using the generated pythonX.Ydist virtual provides. Example of a generated requirements tag: 

      Requires: python3.12dist(requests)
  2. Inspect the generated Requires.
  3. To remove some of the generated Requires, modify the upstream-provided metadata in the %prep section of the spec file.
  4. To disable the automatic requirements generator, include the %{?python_disable_dependency_generator} macro above the main package’s %description declaration.

Chapter 3. Installing Tcl/Tk
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Tcl is a dynamic programming language, while Tk is a graphical user interface (GUI) toolkit. They provide a powerful and easy-to-use platform for developing cross-platform applications with graphical interfaces.

As a dynamic programming language, 'Tcl' provides simple and flexible syntax for writing scripts. The tcl package provides the interpreter for this language and the C library. You can use Tk as GUI toolkit that provides a set of tools and widgets for creating graphical interfaces. You can use various user interface elements such as buttons, menus, dialog boxes, text boxes, and canvas for drawing graphics. Tk is the GUI for many dynamic programming languages.

For more information about Tcl/Tk, see the Tcl/Tk manual or Tcl/Tk documentation web page.

3.1. Installing Tcl
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To develop and run cross-platform software applications and scripts, install the Tcl dynamic programming language on your RHEL 10 system.

The default Tcl implementation is usually installed by default. However, you can also install it manually.

Procedure

  • To install Tcl, use: 

    # dnf install tcl

Verification

  • To verify the Tcl version installed on your system, run the interpreter tclsh: 

    $ tclsh

  • In the interpreter run this command: 

    % info patchlevel
8.6
  • You can exit the interpreter interface by pressing Ctrl+C

3.2. Installing Tk
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To get a set of tools and widgets for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs), install the Tk toolkit. You can use Tk for different dynamic applications.

The default Tk toolkit implementation is usually installed by default. However, you can also install it manually.

Procedure

  • Install the Tk: 

    # dnf install tk

Verification

  • To verify the Tk version installed on your system, run the window shell wish. You need to be running a graphical display: 

    $ wish

  • In the shell run this command: 

    % puts $tk_version
8.6
  • You can exit the interpreter interface by pressing Ctrl+C

Chapter 4. Using the PHP scripting language
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Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is a general-purpose scripting language mainly used for server-side scripting. You can use PHP to run the PHP code by using a web server.

4.1. Installing the PHP scripting language
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To develop and deploy server-side web applications, install PHP on your system. In RHEL 10, the PHP scripting language is available in PHP 8.3 as the php RPM package.

Procedure

  • Install PHP 8.3: 

    # dnf install php

Additional resources

4.2.1. Using PHP with the Apache HTTP Server
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In Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, you can use the Apache HTTP Server to run PHP as a FastCGI process server. As an alternative PHP FastCGI daemon, you can use FastCGI Process Manager (FPM) to manage high website loads. PHP uses FastCGI Process Manager by default in RHEL 10.

Prerequisites

  • The PHP scripting language is installed on your system.

Procedure

  • Configure the Apache HTTP Server and php-fpm to run PHP scripts.

    1. Install the httpd package: 

      # dnf install httpd

    2. Start the Apache HTTP Server: 

      # systemctl start httpd

      Or, if the Apache HTTP Server is already running on your system, restart the httpd service after installing PHP: 

      # systemctl restart httpd

    3. Start the php-fpm service: 

      # systemctl start php-fpm

    4. Optional: Enable both services to start at boot time: 

      # systemctl enable php-fpm httpd

    5. To obtain information about your PHP settings, create the index.php file with the following content in the /var/www/html/ directory: 

      # echo '<?php phpinfo(); ?>' > /var/www/html/index.php

    6. To run the index.php file, point the browser to: 

      http://<hostname>/

    7. Optional: Adjust configuration if you have specific requirements:

      • /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf - generic httpd configuration
      • /etc/httpd/conf.d/php.conf - PHP-specific configuration for httpd
      • /usr/lib/systemd/system/httpd.service.d/php-fpm.conf - by default, the php-fpm service is started with httpd
      • /etc/php-fpm.conf - FPM main configuration
      • /etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf - default www pool configuration

  • Run the "Hello, World!" PHP script using the Apache HTTP Server.

    1. Create a hello directory for your project in the /var/www/html/ directory: 

      # mkdir hello

    2. Create a hello.php file in the /var/www/html/hello/ directory with the following content: 

      # <!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Hello, World! Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
    echo 'Hello, World!';
?>
</body>
</html>

    3. Start the Apache HTTP Server: 

      # systemctl start httpd

    4. To run the hello.php file, point the browser to: 

      http://<hostname>/hello/hello.php

      As a result, a web page with the "Hello, World!" text is displayed.

      See httpd(8), httpd.conf(5), and php-fpm(8) man pages for more information.

4.2.2. Using PHP with the nginx web server
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Configure the nginx web server to process PHP scripts on your RHEL 10 system.

Prerequisites

  • The PHP scripting language is installed on your system.

Procedure

  • Configure the nginx web server and php-fpm to run PHP scripts.

    1. Install the nginx package: 

      # dnf install nginx

    2. Start the nginx server: 

      # systemctl start nginx

      Or, if the nginx server is already running on your system, restart the nginx service after installing PHP: 

      # systemctl restart nginx

    3. Start the php-fpm service: 

      # systemctl start php-fpm

    4. Optional: Enable both services to start at boot time: 

      # systemctl enable php-fpm nginx

    5. To obtain information about your PHP settings, create the index.php file with the following content in the /usr/share/nginx/html/ directory: 

      # echo '<?php phpinfo(); ?>' > /usr/share/nginx/html/index.php

    6. To run the index.php file, point the browser to: 

      http://<hostname>/

    7. Optional: Adjust configuration if you have specific requirements:

      • /etc/nginx/nginx.conf - nginx main configuration
      • /etc/nginx/conf.d/php-fpm.conf - FPM configuration for nginx
      • /etc/php-fpm.conf - FPM main configuration
      • /etc/php-fpm.d/www.conf - default www pool configuration

  • Run the "Hello, World!" PHP script using the nginx server.

    1. Create a hello directory for your project in the /usr/share/nginx/html/ directory: 

      # mkdir hello

    2. Create a hello.php file in the /usr/share/nginx/html/hello/ directory with the following content: 

      # <!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Hello, World! Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
    echo 'Hello, World!';
?>
</body>
</html>

    3. Start the nginx server: 

      # systemctl start nginx

    4. To run the hello.php file, point the browser to: 

      http://<hostname>/hello/hello.php

      As a result, a web page with the "Hello, World!" text is displayed.

      See nginx(8) and php-fpm(8) man pages for more information.

4.3. Running a PHP script using the command line
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A PHP script is usually run by using a web server. However, you can also run the script by using the command line.

Prerequisites

  • The PHP scripting language is installed on your system.

Procedure

  1. Open a text editor and create a PHP file named hello.php with the following content: 

    <?php
    echo 'Hello, World!';
?>
  2. Open a terminal and navigate to the directory containing hello.php.

  3. Run the PHP script from the command line: 

    $ php hello.php
Hello, World!

    See php(1) man pages for more information.

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