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<ul>
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#">platform – Access system version information</a><ul>
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#interpreter">Interpreter</a></li>
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#platform">Platform</a></li>
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#operating-system-and-hardware-info">Operating System and Hardware Info</a></li>
<li><a class="reference internal" href="#executable-architecture">Executable Architecture</a></li>
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<div class="section" id="module-platform">
<span id="platform-access-system-version-information"></span><h1>platform – Access system version information<a class="headerlink" href="#module-platform" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h1>
<table class="docutils field-list" frame="void" rules="none">
<col class="field-name" />
<col class="field-body" />
<tbody valign="top">
<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Purpose:</th><td class="field-body">Probe the underlying platform’s hardware, operating system, and interpreter version information.</td>
</tr>
<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Python Version:</th><td class="field-body">2.3 and later</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Although Python is often used as a cross-platform language, it is
occasionally necessary to know what sort of system a program is
running on. Build tools need that information, but an application
might also know that some of the libraries or external commands it
uses have different interfaces on different operating systems. For
example, a tool to manage the network configuration of an operating
system can define a portable representation of network interfaces,
aliases, IP addresses, etc. But once it actually needs to edit the
configuration files, it must know more about the host so it can use
the correct operating system configuration commands and files. The
<a class="reference internal" href="#module-platform" title="platform: Access system hardware, OS, and interpreter version information."><tt class="xref py py-mod docutils literal"><span class="pre">platform</span></tt></a> module includes the tools for learning about the
interpreter, operating system, and hardware platform where a program
is running.</p>
<div class="admonition note">
<p class="first admonition-title">Note</p>
<p class="last">The example output below was generated on a MacBook Pro3,1 running
OS X 10.6.4, a VMware Fusion VM running CentOS 5.5, and a Dell PC
running Microsoft Windows 2008. Python was installed on the OS X
and Windows systems using the pre-compiled installer from
python.org. The Linux system is running an interpreter built from
source locally.</p>
</div>
<div class="section" id="interpreter">
<h2>Interpreter<a class="headerlink" href="#interpreter" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
<p>There are four functions for getting information about the current
Python interpreter. <tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">python_version()</span></tt> and
<tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">python_version_tuple()</span></tt> return different forms of the interpreter
version with major, minor, and patchlevel components.
<tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">python_compiler()</span></tt> reports on the compiler used to build the
interpreter. And <tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">python_build()</span></tt> gives a version string for the
build of the interpreter.</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="kn">import</span> <span class="nn">platform</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'Version :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">python_version</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'Version tuple:'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">python_version_tuple</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'Compiler :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">python_compiler</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'Build :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">python_build</span><span class="p">()</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>OS X:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_python.py
Version : 2.7.0
Version tuple: ('2', '7', '0')
Compiler : GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Inc. build 5493)
Build : ('r27:82508', 'Jul 3 2010 21:12:11')</pre>
</div>
<p>Linux:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_python.py
Version : 2.7.0
Version tuple: ('2', '7', '0')
Compiler : GCC 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-46)
Build : ('r27', 'Aug 20 2010 11:37:51')</pre>
</div>
<p>Windows:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>C:> python.exe platform_python.py
Version : 2.7.0
Version tuple: ['2', '7', '0']
Compiler : MSC v.1500 64 bit (AMD64)
Build : ('r27:82525', 'Jul 4 2010 07:43:08')</pre>
</div>
</div>
<div class="section" id="platform">
<h2>Platform<a class="headerlink" href="#platform" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
<p><a class="reference internal" href="#module-platform" title="platform: Access system hardware, OS, and interpreter version information."><tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">platform()</span></tt></a> returns string containing a general purpose platform
identifier. The function accepts two optional boolean arguments. If
<em>aliased</em> is True, the names in the return value are converted from a
formal name to their more common form. When <em>terse</em> is true, returns a
minimal value with some parts dropped.</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="kn">import</span> <span class="nn">platform</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'Normal :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">platform</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'Aliased:'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">platform</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">aliased</span><span class="o">=</span><span class="bp">True</span><span class="p">)</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'Terse :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">platform</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="n">terse</span><span class="o">=</span><span class="bp">True</span><span class="p">)</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>OS X:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_platform.py
Normal : Darwin-10.4.0-i386-64bit
Aliased: Darwin-10.4.0-i386-64bit
Terse : Darwin-10.4.0</pre>
</div>
<p>Linux:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_platform.py
Normal : Linux-2.6.18-194.3.1.el5-i686-with-redhat-5.5-Final
Aliased: Linux-2.6.18-194.3.1.el5-i686-with-redhat-5.5-Final
Terse : Linux-2.6.18-194.3.1.el5-i686-with-glibc2.3</pre>
</div>
<p>Windows:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>C:> python.exe platform_platform.py
Normal : Windows-2008ServerR2-6.1.7600
Aliased: Windows-2008ServerR2-6.1.7600
Terse : Windows-2008ServerR2</pre>
</div>
</div>
<div class="section" id="operating-system-and-hardware-info">
<h2>Operating System and Hardware Info<a class="headerlink" href="#operating-system-and-hardware-info" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
<p>More detailed information about the operating system and hardware the
interpreter is running under can be retrieved as well. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">uname()</span></tt>
returns a tuple containing the system, node, release, version,
machine, and processor values. Individual values can be accessed
through functions of the same names:</p>
<dl class="docutils">
<dt><tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">system()</span></tt></dt>
<dd>returns the operating system name</dd>
<dt><tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">node()</span></tt></dt>
<dd>returns the hostname of the server, not fully qualified</dd>
<dt><tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">release()</span></tt></dt>
<dd>returns the operating system release number</dd>
<dt><tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">version()</span></tt></dt>
<dd>returns the more detailed system version</dd>
<dt><tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">machine()</span></tt></dt>
<dd>gives a hardware-type identifier such as <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">'i386'</span></tt></dd>
<dt><tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">processor()</span></tt></dt>
<dd>returns a real identifier for the processor, or the same value as
machine() in many cases</dd>
</dl>
<div class="highlight-python"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="kn">import</span> <span class="nn">platform</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'uname:'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">uname</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'system :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">system</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'node :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">node</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'release :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">release</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'version :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">version</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'machine :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">machine</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'processor:'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">processor</span><span class="p">()</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>OS X:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_os_info.py
uname: ('Darwin', '177.198.246.10.in-addr.arpa', '10.4.0', 'Darwin Kernel Version 10.4.0: Fri Apr 23 18:28:53 PDT 2010; root:xnu-1504.7.4~1/RELEASE_I386', 'i386', 'i386')
system : Darwin
node : 177.198.246.10.in-addr.arpa
release : 10.4.0
version : Darwin Kernel Version 10.4.0: Fri Apr 23 18:28:53 PDT 2010; root:xnu-1504.7.4~1/RELEASE_I386
machine : i386
processor: i386</pre>
</div>
<p>Linux:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_os_info.py
uname: ('Linux', 'hermes.hellfly.net', '2.6.18-194.3.1.el5',
'#1 SMP Thu May 13 13:09:10 EDT 2010', 'i686', 'i686')
system : Linux
node : hermes.hellfly.net
release : 2.6.18-194.3.1.el5
version : #1 SMP Thu May 13 13:09:10 EDT 2010
machine : i686
processor: i686</pre>
</div>
<p>Windows:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>C:> python.exe platform_os_info.py
uname: ('Windows', 'dhellmann', '2008ServerR2', '6.1.7600', 'AMD64',
'Intel64 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 11, GenuineIntel')
system : Windows
node : dhellmann
release : 2008ServerR2
version : 6.1.7600
machine : AMD64
processor: Intel64 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 11, GenuineIntel</pre>
</div>
</div>
<div class="section" id="executable-architecture">
<h2>Executable Architecture<a class="headerlink" href="#executable-architecture" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h2>
<p>Individual program architecture information can be probed using the
<tt class="xref py py-func docutils literal"><span class="pre">architecture()</span></tt> function. The first argument is the path to an
executable program (defaulting to <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">sys.executable</span></tt>, the Python
interpreter). The return value is a tuple containing the bit
architecture and the linkage format used.</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><div class="highlight"><pre><span class="kn">import</span> <span class="nn">platform</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'interpreter:'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">architecture</span><span class="p">()</span>
<span class="k">print</span> <span class="s">'/bin/ls :'</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">platform</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">architecture</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s">'/bin/ls'</span><span class="p">)</span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>OS X:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_architecture.py
interpreter: ('64bit', '')
/bin/ls : ('64bit', '')</pre>
</div>
<p>Linux:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>$ python platform_architecture.py
interpreter: ('32bit', 'ELF')
/bin/ls : ('32bit', 'ELF')</pre>
</div>
<p>Windows:</p>
<div class="highlight-python"><pre>C:> python.exe platform_architecture.py
interpreter : ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
iexplore.exe : ('64bit', '')</pre>
</div>
<div class="admonition-see-also admonition seealso">
<p class="first admonition-title">See also</p>
<dl class="last docutils">
<dt><a class="reference external" href="http://docs.python.org/lib/module-platform.html">platform</a></dt>
<dd>Standard library documentation for this module.</dd>
</dl>
</div>
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