===============================================
platform -- Access system version information
===============================================
.. module:: platform
:synopsis: Access system hardware, OS, and interpreter version information.
:Purpose: Probe the underlying platform's hardware, operating system, and interpreter version information.
:Python Version: 2.3 and later
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
:mod:`platform` module includes the tools for learning about the
interpreter, operating system, and hardware platform where a program
is running.
.. note::
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.
Interpreter
===========
There are four functions for getting information about the current
Python interpreter. :func:`python_version` and
:func:`python_version_tuple` return different forms of the interpreter
version with major, minor, and patchlevel components.
:func:`python_compiler` reports on the compiler used to build the
interpreter. And :func:`python_build` gives a version string for the
build of the interpreter.
.. include:: platform_python.py
:literal:
:start-after: #end_pymotw_header
OS X:
.. {{{cog
.. cog.out(run_script(cog.inFile, 'platform_python.py'))
.. }}}
::
$ 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')
.. {{{end}}}
Linux::
$ 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')
Windows::
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')
Platform
========
:func:`platform` returns string containing a general purpose platform
identifier. The function accepts two optional boolean arguments. If
*aliased* is True, the names in the return value are converted from a
formal name to their more common form. When *terse* is true, returns a
minimal value with some parts dropped.
.. include:: platform_platform.py
:literal:
:start-after: #end_pymotw_header
OS X:
.. {{{cog
.. cog.out(run_script(cog.inFile, 'platform_platform.py'))
.. }}}
::
$ python platform_platform.py
Normal : Darwin-10.4.0-i386-64bit
Aliased: Darwin-10.4.0-i386-64bit
Terse : Darwin-10.4.0
.. {{{end}}}
Linux::
$ 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
Windows::
C:> python.exe platform_platform.py
Normal : Windows-2008ServerR2-6.1.7600
Aliased: Windows-2008ServerR2-6.1.7600
Terse : Windows-2008ServerR2
Operating System and Hardware Info
==================================
More detailed information about the operating system and hardware the
interpreter is running under can be retrieved as well. ``uname()``
returns a tuple containing the system, node, release, version,
machine, and processor values. Individual values can be accessed
through functions of the same names:
:func:`system`
returns the operating system name
:func:`node`
returns the hostname of the server, not fully qualified
:func:`release`
returns the operating system release number
:func:`version`
returns the more detailed system version
:func:`machine`
gives a hardware-type identifier such as ``'i386'``
:func:`processor`
returns a real identifier for the processor, or the same value as
machine() in many cases
.. include:: platform_os_info.py
:literal:
:start-after: #end_pymotw_header
OS X:
.. {{{cog
.. cog.out(run_script(cog.inFile, 'platform_os_info.py'))
.. }}}
::
$ 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
.. {{{end}}}
Linux::
$ 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
Windows::
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
Executable Architecture
=======================
Individual program architecture information can be probed using the
:func:`architecture` function. The first argument is the path to an
executable program (defaulting to ``sys.executable``, the Python
interpreter). The return value is a tuple containing the bit
architecture and the linkage format used.
.. include:: platform_architecture.py
:literal:
:start-after: #end_pymotw_header
OS X:
.. {{{cog
.. cog.out(run_script(cog.inFile, 'platform_architecture.py'))
.. }}}
::
$ python platform_architecture.py
interpreter: ('64bit', '')
/bin/ls : ('64bit', '')
.. {{{end}}}
Linux::
$ python platform_architecture.py
interpreter: ('32bit', 'ELF')
/bin/ls : ('32bit', 'ELF')
Windows::
C:> python.exe platform_architecture.py
interpreter : ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
iexplore.exe : ('64bit', '')
.. seealso::
`platform <http://docs.python.org/lib/module-platform.html>`_
Standard library documentation for this module.