[mod_python] Setting the python executable

2008/4/11 Evert Rol <evert.rol at gmail.com>:
>
>
> >
> > > I'm having a hard time telling Apache (or mod_python) to tell which
> python
> > > executable to use.
> > > The thing is, I don't have a root access, so I'm running the Apache
> server
> > > and python 2.5 under my user account. Both have also been installed this
> > > way, ie, they are in my in the directory tree of my user account.
> > > To avoid interference with the older system python (2.3), I just call
> > > python with the full path (I try to avoid changing my path, since some
> of
> > > these scripts run as cron jobs, bypassing a lot of setup files).
> > > Bit of debugging (eg, print sys.executable in a mod_python script)
> showed,
> > > however, that mod_python is still happily using the system python, not
> my
> > > locally installed. That goes fine up to a certain point, but it does of
> > > course crash in the end. I had compiled mod_python with the
> --with-python
> > > and --with-apxs options, but looks like that doesn't help here.
> > > After some further searching around, I came across the Action directive
> for
> > > Apache; still didn't work, although that may be simply because I did
> that
> > > incorrectly.
> > >
> > > For the record, I'm using mod_python for Django, maing things
> potentially
> > > more convoluted.
> > > Here's what my latest attempt at getting this to work (still failing
> after
> > > plenty of Apache restarts):
> > >
> > > Action thepython-program /home/evert/sw/bin/python2.5
> > > # Django directory
> > > <Location "/testing/">
> > >   SetHandler thepython-program
> > >   PythonHandler django.core.handlers.modpython
> > >   SetEnv DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE mysite.settings
> > >   PythonDebug On
> > > </Location>
> > >
> > >
> > > I'm beginning to run out of ideas (& Google search terms). Does anyone
> have
> > > any pointers?
> > >
> >
> > The mod_python module embeds the Python interpreter and so it can only
> > use the version you compiled it against, Your attempts therefore to
> > use Action are fruitless in that respect, but also because that isn't
> > what the Action directive is for.
> >
> > Please clarify which version of mod_python you are using and which
> > version of Python it was actually compiled against. If using
> > mod_python 3.3.1 you should see warning/error messages in Apache error
> > log on startup when the version of Python that it was compiled against
> > was in a non standard location on path of Apache user and thus
> > couldn't be found. This though would generally result in complete
> > failure, yet you suggest it works for a bit and fails which suggests
> > that mod_python isn't compiled against version of Python you want and
> > it is your Python code which is incompatible with the version of
> > Python that mod_python was compiled for.
> >
>
>  It is 3.3.1, with Python 2.5; the system python at /usr/bin/python is 2.3.
> I cannot recall having seen any warning messages in the logs on finding the
> incorrect Python version. And I have absolutely no idea why parts of it
> seemed to work, and then it decided to crash. Looks like that had to do with
> sqlite from within Python, so it could be running into sqlite library
> incompatibilities (I don't know if 2.5 & 2.3 handle those differently; does
> 2.3 using the system library, while 2.5 has it built-in and therefore uses a
> different version?).
>  I did manage to solve it with setting the PATH, which, as said, isn't my
> preferred option.
>
>
>
> >  https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/MODPYTHON-225
> >
>
>  Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Both the problem I'm having and the
> solution I wanted to achieve (set Apache directive to pick up the correct
> Python, instead of setting PATH). Looks like I just hadn't put the right
> search terms into Google.
>  I guess I have to make do with it for now.

Or if you only need it for hosting a WSGI application like Django, use
mod_wsgi instead. When using mod_wsgi you can override Python install
prefix for this sort of problem in Apache configuration. See section
'Multiple Python Versions' in:

  http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/wiki/InstallationIssues

Graham