Dreamhost Python Setup script

dreamhost_python_setup.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Written by William Ting for the following blog post:
# http://williamting.com/posts/2012/04/18/set-up-python-and-django-on-dreamhost/

rcfile="${HOME}/.bashrc"
version="2.7.3"
setuptools_version="2.7"
tmp_dir="${HOME}/tmp-${RANDOM}"

if [[ ${#} == 0 ]]; then
	echo "Option --pythonbrew or --source required."
	exit 1
fi

function install_tools {
	# Install setuptools
	wget http://pypi.python.org/packages/${setuptools_version}/s/setuptools/setuptools-0.6c11-py${setuptools_version}.egg
	sh ./setuptools--0.6c9-py${setuptools_version}.egg

	# Install pip
	curl -L https://raw.github.com/pypa/pip/master/contrib/get-pip.py | python

	# Install django
	#pip install django
}

if [[ ${1} == "--pythonbrew" ]]; then
	mkdir ${tmp_dir} || exit 1
	cd ${tmp_dir}

	# Install pythonbrew
	curl -L https://raw.github.com/utahta/pythonbrew/master/pythonbrew-install | bash

	# Modify rcfile:
	echo "# Load pythonbrew" >> ${rcfile}
	echo "alias pb='pythonbrew'" >> ${rcfile}
	echo "export PYTHONPATH=~/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-${version}/lib" >> ${rcfile}
	echo "[[ -s $HOME/.pythonbrew/etc/bashrc ]] && source $HOME/.pythonbrew/etc/bashrc" >> ${rcfile}
	echo "" >> ${rcfile}

	alias pb='pythonbrew'
	export PYTHONPATH=~/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-${version}/lib
	[[ -s $HOME/.pythonbrew/etc/bashrc ]] && source $HOME/.pythonbrew/etc/bashrc

	# Install Python
	pythonbrew install ${version}
	pythonbrew switch ${version}

	# Install commonly used tools, django
	install_tools

	# Initialize virtualenv
	pythonbrew venv init

	# Wrapup
	cd ${HOME}
	rm -fr ${tmp_dir}

	echo
	echo "pythonbrew environment installed, pythonbrew is aliased to 'pb'."
	echo
	echo "To remove this environment, delete ~/.pythonbrew and remove the lines from your ${rcfile}."
	echo
	echo "Refer to pythonbrew documentation for more details:"
	echo
	echo "    http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pythonbrew/"
	echo
	echo "Please run:"
	echo
	echo "    source ${rcfile}"
	echo "    pb switch ${version}"
	echo
elif [[ ${1} == "--source" ]]; then
	mkdir ${tmp_dir} || exit 1
	cd ${tmp_dir}

	# Install Python
	wget http://python.org/ftp/python/${version}/Python-${version}.tgz
	tar -xvzf Python-${version}.tgz
	cd Python-${version}
	./configure --prefix=$HOME/opt/python-${version}
	make && make install

	# Modify rcfile:
	echo "# Load custom python installation" >> ${rcfile}
	echo -e "export PATH=~/opt/python-${version}/bin:\${PATH}" >> ${rcfile}
	echo "export PYTHONPATH=~/opt/python-${version}/lib" >> ${rcfile}
	echo "" >> ${rcfile}

	export PATH=~/opt/python-${version}/bin:\${PATH} >> ${rcfile}
	export PYTHONPATH=~/opt/python-${version}/lib >> ${rcfile}

	# Install commonly used tools, django
	install_tools

	# Install virtualenv
	pip install virtualenv

	# Wrapup
	cd ${HOME}
	rm -fr ${tmp_dir}

	echo
	echo "Custom Python environment installed to ~/opt/python-${version}"
	echo
	echo "To remove this environment, delete ~/opt/python-${version} and remove the lines from your ${rcfile}."
	echo
	echo "Please run:"
	echo
	echo "    source ${rcfile}"
	echo
else
	echo "Invalid argument. Option --pythonbrew or --source required."
	exit 1
fi

For anyone attempting to install/upgrade Python/Packages on their DreamHost (or any other) VPS: This script is massively outdated, and you're sure to run into plenty of errors (from the start the links don't work anymore).

If you found yourself on this page because of version issues, dependency issues, or something similar I'd highly recommend installing fresh. Chances are if you're here you're not an expert who builds massive Python projects for a living, but probably just someone just starting with Python or someone who utilizes Python with simple scripts (I love python's SciPy and NumPy, and write tons of scripts utilizing these modules). This is undoubtedly the quickest, lightest weight, and simplest way to get your Python scripts running.

SSH to your server

Python3
wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.6.0/Python-3.6.0.tar.xz
OR
Python2
wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.13/Python-2.7.13.tar.xz
The most recent version can be found here: https://www.python.org/downloads/ (just copy link location and replace)

Open/untar file (rest will be for Python3, but it's the same for 2)
tar -xvf Python-3.6.0.tar.xz

Go to directory
cd Python-3.6.0

Prepare config for make/install
./configure --prefix=$HOME/.local

Make and install:
make
make install

This should install the most recent version for your VPS user alongside the root version.

Next you need add the path to your environment.

cd $home
vi .bash_profile

While in vi press insert to edit, and add the following anywhere on empty lines.
# Python
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
type :write then :quit in order to write and leave vi

Source your new profile
'source ~/.bash_profile'

Voila! You can now start using the most recent version of Python on your VPS. Check the version with python3 -V. There's lots of guides for setting up virtual environments, but here's a link to the official Python3 doc: https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html

Cheers, hope this helps.

@zbagley thanks, very useful

@zbagley it doesn't install pip for me.