autopip 1.7.1

Easily install apps from PyPI and automatically keep them updated

autopip

Easily install apps from PyPI and automatically keep them updated.

autopip automates the creation of a virtual environment using venv, installs any Python package with scripts (i.e. app) from PyPI using pip, and atomically creates symlinks for installed scripts in /usr/local/bin so you can easily use them. Each app version is installed cleanly into its own virtual environment. Optionally, it can set up crontab entries to update apps automatically (requires admin permission).

Before starting, make sure your Python installation meets all the requirements – while autopip can install Python apps that run on any Python version, it requires Python 3.6+ to run:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/maxzheng/autopip/master/etc/check-python.py | python3

To install autopip to /usr/local/bin:

sudo pip3 install autopip

No need to worry about tainting system Python install as autopip has no install dependencies and never will.

Alternatively, you can install it in a virtual environment – the last one that you will ever create manually for installing Python apps:

python3 -m venv ~/.virtualenvs/autopip
source ~/.virtualenvs/autopip/bin/activate
pip3 install autopip

Optionally, create installation directories and chown to your user so that autopip can create symlinks in /usr/local/bin:

sudo mkdir /usr/local/opt /usr/local/var
sudo chown -R $(whoami) /usr/local/*

Now, you can easily install any apps from PyPI:

$ autopip install workspace-tools --update daily
Installing workspace-tools to /usr/local/opt/apps/workspace-tools/3.2.2
Daily auto-update enabled via cron service
Updating symlinks in /usr/local/bin
+ wst

Install paths are selected based on your user’s permission to write to /opt or /usr/local/opt. If you do not have permission for either, then autopip will install apps to your user home at ~/.apps with script symlinks in ~/bin therefore you will need to add ~/bin to your PATH env var to easily run scripts from installed apps. To install script symlinks to /usr/local/bin, either chown/chmod dirs in /usr/local/* to be writeable by your user as suggested above or run autopip using sudo (i.e. as root). To see why a particular path is selected, append --debug after autopip when running it.

To save typing a few letters, you can also use the app alias – short for autopip.

$ app install ansible-hostmanager
Installing ansible-hostmanager to /usr/local/opt/apps/ansible-hostmanager/0.2.3
Updating script symlinks in /usr/local/bin
+ ah

To install an app for a specific Python version, use the --python option:

$ app install ducktape --python 3.7
Installing ducktape to /usr/local/opt/apps/ducktape/0.7.3
Updating script symlinks in /usr/local/bin
+ ducktape

To show currently installed apps and their scripts:

$ app list --scripts
ansible-hostmanager  0.2.3   /usr/local/opt/apps/ansible-hostmanager/0.2.3
                             /usr/local/bin/ah
ducktape             0.7.3   /usr/local/opt/apps/ducktape/0.7.3
                             /usr/local/bin/ducktape
workspace-tools      3.2.2   /usr/local/opt/apps/workspace-tools/3.2.2      [updates daily]
                             /usr/local/bin/wst

To manually update all apps:

$ app update
ansible-hostmanager is up-to-date
ducktape is up-to-date
workspace-tools is up-to-date

To uninstall:

app uninstall ducktape

And you can even keep autopip updated automatically by installing itself:

$ app install autopip==1.* --update monthly
Installing autopip to /usr/local/opt/apps/autopip/1.0.0
Monthly auto-update enabled via cron service
Updating symlinks in /usr/local/bin
* app (updated)
* autopip (updated)

Now, that’s convenience! ;)

If you need to use a private PyPI index, just configure index-url in pip.conf as autopip uses pip to install apps.

To control versioning and uniform installations across multiple hosts/users, you can also define an autopip installation group using entry points. See example in developer-tools package.

FAQ

1. Cron jobs have a random minute set during install and runs hourly for all intervals.

2. Up to two versions of an app is kept at a time.

Links & Contact Info

PyPI Package: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/autopip

GitHub Source: https://github.com/maxzheng/autopip

Report Issues/Bugs: https://github.com/maxzheng/autopip/issues

Follow: https://twitter.com/MaxZhengX

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxzheng

Contact: maxzheng.os @t gmail.com