NAME

       pcp-python - run a python script using a preferred python variant

SYNOPSIS

       pcp python [SCRIPT [ARG]...]

DESCRIPTION

       pcp-python provides a way to run python scripts using a customisable python binary, rather than embedding
       any particular version of python into each script.

       This  can  be useful as it allows version-independent python code to be run anywhere.  All python modules
       shipped with PCP support versions 2.6 and later (in the python2  series),  and  3.3  and  later  (in  the
       python3 release series).

       Due  to  python  monitoring  and  collecting  scripts  being  relatively simple in PCP (not requiring new
       modules, language features, etc), it has been possible to ensure they work for all of  the  above  python
       versions.   Thus,  it is common for PCP python scripts to use a "shebang" line that invokes pcp-python as
       follows:

          #!/usr/bin/pcp python

       This allows the custom setting to be injected  instead  of  a  hard-coded  python  version,  while  still
       allowing the user to override the python version as follows:

          $ PCP_PYTHON_PROG=python3 /usr/bin/pcp python --version
          Python 3.3.2
          $ PCP_PYTHON_PROG=python2 /usr/bin/pcp python --version
          Python 2.7.5

       This is convenient for shipping identical scripts on multiple platforms, and for testing different python
       versions  with  the  one  script  (e.g.  in  the  case  where  multiple versions of python are installed,
       PCP_PYTHON_PROG can be set in the local environment to override the global setting).

       By default, the value of PCP_PYTHON_PROG from /etc/pcp.conf will be used.   The  default  value  of  this
       configuration  parameter  is  set  depending  on  some heuristics about the target build platform.  These
       heuristics favour the use of python3 in all recent releases of PCP, for those platforms that support it.

PCP ENVIRONMENT

       Environment variables with the prefix PCP_ are used to parameterize the file and directory names used  by
       PCP.   On  each  installation, the file /etc/pcp.conf contains the local values for these variables.  The
       $PCP_CONF variable may be used to specify an alternative configuration file, as described in pcp.conf(5).

SEE ALSO

       pcp(1) and PCPIntro(1).

Performance Co-Pilot                                   PCP                                         PCP-PYTHON(1)