python-exec
(c) 2012-2018 Michał Górny
Licensed under the terms of the 2-clause BSD license.


Introduction and usage
======================

python-exec is a wrapper for Python scripts and executables designed
in order to facilitate the support for installing multiple Python
implementations in parallel.

python-exec provides support for wrapping Python implementations whose
identifiers (executable basenames) are passed during configure call
(obligatory --with-python-impls parameter).

In order for python-exec to work, wrapped scripts and executables need
to be installed in subdirectories of scriptroot (defined through
--with-python-scriptroot parameter, ${prefix}/lib/python-exec
by default) whose names match appropriate implementations. Afterwards,
python-exec2 wrapper should be symlinked or copied into an appropriate
executable directory using the name of the wrapped script.

In other words, to wrap /usr/bin/foo, you would:

1. install the real script into /usr/lib/python-exec/pythonX.Y/foo,

2. symlink /usr/bin/foo -> /usr/lib/python-exec/python-exec2.

Afterwards, whenever the wrapper script is run python-exec will try to
determine the most preferred Python implementation supported by
the script and run the appropriate variant. It should be noted that
the wrapped script needs to have an appropriate shebang in order to run
matching Python interpreter.


Configuration
=============

python-exec supports two configuration layers: EPYTHON environment
variable and a configuration file.

The EPYTHON environment variable can be used to configure python-exec at
runtime and/or override local configuration. If it is defined, it
specifies the most preferred Python interpreter that should be used to
run the script. If the specified interpreter is unsupported by
the script, python-exec will fall back to configuration file and/or
default order.

The configuration file (example in config/python-exec.conf.example)
needs to be installed in ${sysconfdir}/python-exec/python-exec.conf. It
lists preferred Python implementations in preference order. For more
information, please look at the detailed usage guide in the example
file.

If none of the explicitly preferred implementations are supported by
the script, python-exec falls back to trying any other implementation
known to it (i.e. specified at build-time) that is not explicitly
disabled via configuration.


Recovery notes
==============

python-exec2 itself and its build system does not require any version of
Python being installed. This also means that it can be securely
reinstalled if it becomes broken and Python scripts stop to work
correctly.

If the python-exec2 wrapper (in ${python_scriptroot}) becomes damaged
(e.g. overwritten by insecure use of old version of distutils), you can
replace it with python-exec2c wrapper (from ${bindir}). This will break
uses of 'python /usr/bin/foo' but otherwise render the wrapper
functional.

The python-exec2c wrapper can be called directly. For example, in order
to execute the script foo, you can call:

    python-exec2c foo

All wrapped scripts are installed in ${python_scriptroot} and usable
directly. If everything else fails, you can simply call:

    /usr/lib/python-exec/python3.4/foo

