8.46. Python-3.8.3

The Python 3 package contains the Python development environment. It is useful for object-oriented programming, writing scripts, prototyping large programs, or developing entire applications.

Approximate build time: 1.2 SBU

Required disk space: 246 MB

8.46.1. Installation of Python 3

Prepare Python for compilation:

./configure --prefix=/usr       \
            --enable-shared     \
            --with-system-expat \
            --with-system-ffi   \
            --with-ensurepip=yes

The meaning of the configure options:

--with-system-expat: This switch enables linking against system version of Expat.
--with-system-ffi: This switch enables linking against system version of libffi.
--with-ensurepip=yes: This switch enables building pip and setuptools packaging programs.

Compile the package:

make

To test the results, issue make test. Some tests requiring a network connection or additional packages are skipped. The test named test_normalization fails because network configuration is not completed yet. For more comprehensive results, the test can be rerun when Python 3 is reinstalled in BLFS.

Install the package:

make install
chmod -v 755 /usr/lib/libpython3.8.so
chmod -v 755 /usr/lib/libpython3.so
ln -sfv pip3.8 /usr/bin/pip3

The meaning of the install commands:

chmod -v 755 /usr/lib/libpython3.{8.,}so: Fix permissions for libraries to be consistent with other libraries.

If desired, install the preformatted documentation:

install -v -dm755 /usr/share/doc/python-3.8.3/html 

tar --strip-components=1  \
    --no-same-owner       \
    --no-same-permissions \
    -C /usr/share/doc/python-3.8.3/html \
    -xvf ../python-3.8.3-docs-html.tar.bz2

The meaning of the documentation install commands:

--no-same-owner and --no-same-permissions: Ensure the installed files have the correct ownership and permissions. Without these options, using tar will install the package files with the upstream creator's values.

8.46.2. Contents of Python 3

Installed Programs: 2to3, idle3, pip3, pydoc3, python3, and python3-config

Installed Library: libpython3.8.so and libpython3.so

Installed Directories: /usr/include/python3.8, /usr/lib/python3, and /usr/share/doc/python-3.8.3

Short Descriptions

2to3	is a Python program that reads Python 2.x source code and applies a series of fixes to transform it into valid Python 3.x code.
idle3	is a wrapper script that opens a Python aware GUI editor. For this script to run, you must have installed Tk before Python so that the Tkinter Python module is built.
pip3	The package installer for Python. You can use pip to install packages from Python Package Index and other indexes.
pydoc3	is the Python documentation tool.
python3	is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented programming language.

Linux From Scratch - Version 20200613-cross2

Chapter 8. Installing Basic System Software

8.46. Python-3.8.3

8.46.1. Installation of Python 3

8.46.2. Contents of Python 3

Short Descriptions