cpython/Doc/lib/libplatform.tex

\section{\module{platform} --- 
   Access to underlying platform's identifying data.}

\declaremodule{standard}{platform}
\modulesynopsis{Retrieves as much platform identifying data as possible.}
\moduleauthor{Marc-Andre Lemburg}{mal@egenix.com}
\sectionauthor{Bjorn Pettersen}{bpettersen@corp.fairisaac.com}

\versionadded{2.3}

\begin{notice}[note]
	Specific platforms listed alphabetically, with Linux included in the \UNIX
	section.
\end{notice}

\subsection{Cross Platform}

\begin{funcdesc}{architecture}{executable=sys.executable, bits='', linkage=''}
  Queries the given executable (defaults to the Python interpreter
  binary) for various architecture informations.

  Returns a tuple \code{(bits, linkage)} which contain information about
  the bit architecture and the linkage format used for the
  executable. Both values are returned as strings.

  Values that cannot be determined are returned as given by the
  parameter presets. If bits is given as \code{''}, the
  \cfunction{sizeof(pointer)}
  (or \cfunction{sizeof(long)} on Python version < 1.5.2) is used as
  indicator for the supported pointer size.

  The function relies on the system's \file{file} command to do the
  actual work. This is available on most if not all \UNIX{} 
  platforms and some non-\UNIX{} platforms and then only if the
  executable points to the Python interpreter.  Reasonable defaults
  are used when the above needs are not met.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{machine}{}
  Returns the machine type, e.g. \code{'i386'}.

  An empty string is returned if the value cannot be determined.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{node}{}
  Returns the computer's network name (may not be fully qualified!)

  An empty string is returned if the value cannot be determined.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{platform}{aliased=0, terse=0}
	Returns a single string identifying the underlying platform
	with as much useful information as possible.
	
	The output is intended to be \emph{human readable} rather than
	machine parseable. It may look different on different
	platforms and this is intended.
	
	If \code{aliased} is true, the function will use aliases for
	various platforms that report system names which differ from
	their common names, e.g. SunOS will be reported as
	Solaris. The \function{system_alias()} function is used to implement
	this.
	
	Setting terse to true causes the function to return only the
	absolute minimum information needed to identify the platform.
\end{funcdesc}


\begin{funcdesc}{processor}{}
  Returns the (real) processor name, e.g. 'amdk6'

  An empty string is returned if the value cannot be
  determined. Note that many platforms do not provide this
  information or simply return the same value as for \function{machine()},
  e.g.  NetBSD does this.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{python_build}{}
  Returns a tuple \code{(buildno, builddate)} stating the Python
  build number and date as strings.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{python_compiler}{}
  Returns a string identifying the compiler used for compiling
  Python.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{python_version}{}
  Returns the Python version as string \code{'major.minor.patchlevel'}

  Note that unlike the Python \code{sys.version}, the returned value
  will always include the patchlevel (it defaults to 0).
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{python_version_tuple}{}
  Returns the Python version as tuple \code{(major, minor, patchlevel)}
  of strings.

  Note that unlike the Python \code{sys.version}, the returned value
  will always include the patchlevel (it defaults to 0).
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{release}{}
  Returns the system's release, e.g. \code{'2.2.0'} or \code{'NT'}

  An empty string is returned if the value cannot be determined.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{system}{}
  Returns the system/OS name, e.g. \code{'Linux'}, \code{'Windows'}, or \code{'Java'}.

  An empty string is returned if the value cannot be determined.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{system_alias}{system, release, version}
  Returns \code{(system, release, version)} aliased to common
  marketing names used for some systems.

  It also does some reordering of the information in some cases
  where it would otherwise cause confusion.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{version}{}
  Returns the system's release version, e.g. \code{'#3 on degas'}.

  An empty string is returned if the value cannot be determined.
\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{uname}{}
  Fairly portable uname interface. Returns a tuple
  of strings \code{(system, node, release, version, machine, processor)}
  identifying the underlying platform.

  Note that unlike the \function{os.uname()} function this also returns
  possible processor information as additional tuple entry.

  Entries which cannot be determined are set to \code{''}.
\end{funcdesc}

\subsection{Java Platform}

\begin{funcdesc}{java_ver}{release='', vendor='', vminfo=('','',''), osinfo=('','','')}
	Version interface for JPython.
	
	Returns a tuple \code{(release, vendor, vminfo, osinfo)} with vminfo being
	a tuple \code{(vm_name, vm_release, vm_vendor)} and osinfo being a
	tuple \code{(os_name, os_version, os_arch)}.
	
	Values which cannot be determined are set to the defaults
	given as parameters (which all default to \code{''}).
\end{funcdesc}

\subsection{Windows Platform}

\begin{funcdesc}{win32_ver}{release='', version='', csd='', ptype=''}
	Get additional version information from the Windows Registry
	and return a tuple \code{(version, csd, ptype)} referring to version
	number, CSD level and OS type (multi/single	processor).
	
	As a hint: ptype returns \code{'Uniprocessor Free'} on single
	processor NT machines and \code{'Multiprocessor Free'} on multi
	processor machines. The \emph{'Free'} refers to the OS version being
	free of debugging code. It could also state \emph{'Checked'} which
	means the OS version uses debugging code, i.e. code that
	checks arguments, ranges, etc.

\begin{notice}[note]
	This function only works if Mark Hammond's \module{win32all}
	package is installed and (obviously) only runs on Win32
	compatible platforms.
\end{notice}

\end{funcdesc}

\subsubsection{Win95/98 specific}

\begin{funcdesc}{popen}{cmd, mode='r', bufsize=None}
	Portable \function{popen()} interface.
    Find a working popen implementation preferring \function{win32pipe.popen}.
    On NT \function{win32pipe} should work; on Win9x 
    it hangs due to bugs in the MS C lib.
    \seetext{MS KnowledgeBase article Q150956.}
\end{funcdesc}


\subsection{Mac Platform}

\begin{funcdesc}{mac_ver}{release='', versioninfo=('','',''), machine=''}
	Get MacOS version information and return it as tuple \code{(release,
	versioninfo, machine)} with versioninfo being a tuple \code{(version,
	dev_stage, non_release_version)}.
	
	Entries which cannot be determined are set to \code{''}. All tuple
	entries are strings.

    Documentation for the underlying gestalt() API is available online 
    at \url{http://www.rgaros.nl/gestalt/}
\end{funcdesc}

\subsection{\UNIX{} Platforms}

\begin{funcdesc}{dist}{distname='',version='',id='',supported_dists=('SuSE','debian','redhat','mandrake')}
	Tries to determine the name of the OS distribution name
	
	Returns a tuple \code{(distname, version, id)} which defaults to the
	args given as parameters.
\end{funcdesc}


\begin{funcdesc}{libc_ver}{executable=sys.executable, lib='', version='', chunksize=2048}
  Tries to determine the libc version against which the
  file executable (defaults to the Python interpreter) is linked.

  Returns a tuple of strings \code{(lib, version)} which default to the
  given parameters in case the lookup fails.

  Note that the function has intimate knowledge of how different
  libc versions add symbols to the executable is probably only
  useable for executables compiled using \emph{gcc}.

  The file is read and scanned in chunks of chunksize bytes.
\end{funcdesc}