Linux @lemmy.ml boredsquirrel @slrpnk.net 3 wk. ago

How to install up-to-date python for a user only?

You know, immutable enterprise systems.

I installed HeliumOS (Almalinux bootc) on a corebooted Chromebook. Works really well, but audio needs to be configured.

The script needs a recent python which is not available there.

Go and rust can be installed for a user only. Is there something similar for python?

53 comments

Doesn't pyenv solve?
- Plus one for pyenv
Perhaps overkill for your use case, but uv is pretty great. I suppose you could just use it to install a local python and then add it to your path.
- This was going to be my recommendation as well.
You might consider trying Miniconda, a version of Anaconda. It installs a local python environment of your choosing at a user level. https://docs.anaconda.com/miniconda/
- I Gave it a try on macOS a few days ago because brew and python is a dependencie hell and way to much workarounds to make some scripts to work properly when specific versions of packages are needed...
  
  Miniconda actually made it work fine, without to much hassle. I'm kinda impressed.
- I prefer Micromamba since it's faster at solving environments.
  
  You can also set the solver to use libmamba if you've already installed miniconda
You can install the new version of python but leave the system default python as is. You can launch a specific version of python by adding the version number

So python3.12 vs just python3
If you can install nix (you can install it per user) then you can have whatever you want in a temporary shell with nix-shell -p python

nix profile install nixpkgs#python if you want it actually installed

Home manager is also entirely user level I believe and lets you use a declarative config too
- I tried to get install instructions for home-manager and they only had them if you are already on nix?
  
  I didnt get it
  
  I'd try installing just regular nix (package manager, not operating system) rather than home manager, that's what I do on by Debian pi
  
  There's an install script on their website that does it all for you
  
  Careful, there's three different terms in the mix here:
  
  NixOS: an entire operating system, you don't need this.
  
  nix: the nix package manager. This is what you'll need to install. look for single user install in the instructions.
  
  home-manager: a module for nix. It's aim is to allow declarative configuration of a users' home configuration (and allow easier per-user install of packages on a global nix install).
  
  If you want to go down the nix route, which I would recommend if you enjoy tinkering and having fine control over your system, you should start with installing nix. With that, you can already setup a shell that has the newest version of python available.
  
  Going beyond that, I can link you some more resources, if you want c:
  
  https://programming.dev/comment/8114883
- Home-manager > nix profile
  
  Also, nix-shell is supposed to be used for debugging, and nix shell/run/develop for using packages without installing them
  
  Does home manager work standalone without having nix first? I've never installed it on non-nixos
  
  Nix shell is absolutely for running packages without installing them it literally tells you to do that in the terminal hint
  
  Nix run iirc only works with flakes
  
  Source on the second statement? My understanding was that nix-shell is legacy for systems without flakes and nix-command enabled, and are being replaced by nix shell/run/develop
Can you use pyenv for the script?
Compile it, install it to your ~/bin.
- ~/.local/bin ;)
  
  But yes, great idea.
  
  I found a script online that installed the tar archive. For some reason that version of python still wasnt used, and invoking it with python3.12.6 or something didnt do anything
  
  ~/bin is the real directory for UNIX.
You should be able to have multiple versions with an environment manager, maybe customize your shell profile to alias python to the one you want and the other users can alias to the one they want. I’m sure there’s a better way, but I strongly dislike python every time I try to learn it because Perl was the first language I learned, ruining me for strongly opinionated languages.
@boredsquirrel
One solution could be to install uv for a single user, and use that to install and run a Python interpreter.

https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/
Have you considered using pipx + poetry?
Maybe a tooling manager like mise or asdf.
Audio configuration sounds like a shell task. Why does it need Python? Is this script in any way an official part of the OS?
- No not a part of the OS and als no idea why they used python, that script is full of crazy functions so may be needed.
  
  I translated the python 3.12 to 3.9 using ChatGPT lol, as even after installing up-to-date python and placing it in my home $PATH the script threw errors.
  
  I think it worked, but there is an issue with my atomic system, so I likely need to build an RPM for the changes or use a different command for akmods or package the kernel myself or whatever.
  
  Ah, I see. Well I'm glad it worked!
  
  🤣 damn I would've been looking for a new image to flash at that point.
  
  I'm glad chatGPT didn't brick your system.
  
  Where'd you get the audio setup script?
Can you put it in the ~/bin or something and modify the $path to go there first?
- ~/.local/bin you mean?
  
  ;)
  
  Yes I tried that, and got like 6 different solutions to do this so I will see :)
  
  Yes . Local/bin, good looking out.
  
  Does your which program name report the right one?
Not familiar with HeliumOS specifically, but for a generic atomic distro I would try layering Python temporarily, and then getting rid of it when you're done.
- Loooool
  
  I thought there was no rpm-ostree but there is.
  
  Well, lets layer some stuff!
- I see from the github ticket you need 3.10 .
  
  There's an EPEL clone, apparently, that bundles a python3.10 package.
  
  MAYBE this is your process:
  
  yum* install dnf-plugins-core yum config-manager --add-repo=https://pkgs.dyn.su/el9/base/x86_64/ yum install python3.10
  
  Then use it like /usr/bin/python3.10 . Remove it and the repo after.
  
  *I avoid using DidNotFinish(dnf) even though I know it's an alias.
pythonz

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