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Python on Android

Note: This post is out of date. If you'd like to run Python on your Android device, please see my Android Scripting Environment project.

Here's an early Christmas present for all those Python fanatics (self included) out there! With a lot of help from my friends (thanks Manuel and Thomas!) I managed to install Python 2.4.5 on my G1. It's still rough around the edges, but I think it's a good start. Klaus Reimer has a nice overview of how to cross-compile Python. My instructions borrow a lot from his.
  • Download and build the Android source. These directions assume that you have installed the source to /android_src.
  • Download and build the Python 2.4.5 source. These directions assume that you have installed the source to /python_src.
  • Make copies of python and pgen for use later in the build process then clean up.
$ cd /python_src
$ cp python hostpython
$ cp Parser/pgen Parser/hostpgen
$ make distclean
  • Apply the following patch to the Python source.
diff -r -c -b Python-2.4.5/Makefile.pre.in Python-2.4.5-android/Makefile.pre.in
*** Python-2.4.5/Makefile.pre.in Sun Oct  8 19:41:25 2006
--- Python-2.4.5-android/Makefile.pre.in Fri Dec 19 10:02:17 2008
***************
*** 166,171 ****
--- 166,172 ----

PYTHON=  python$(EXE)
BUILDPYTHON= python$(BUILDEXE)
+ HOSTPYTHON= ./$(BUILDPYTHON)

# === Definitions added by makesetup ===

***************
*** 192,197 ****
--- 193,199 ----
##########################################################################
# Parser
PGEN=  Parser/pgen$(EXE)
+ HOSTPGEN=       $(PGEN)

POBJS=  \
Parser/acceler.o \
***************
*** 324,331 ****
# Build the shared modules
sharedmods: $(BUILDPYTHON)
case $$MAKEFLAGS in \
!  *-s*) $(RUNSHARED) CC='$(CC)' LDSHARED='$(BLDSHARED)' OPT='$(OPT)' ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py -q build;; \
!  *) $(RUNSHARED) CC='$(CC)' LDSHARED='$(BLDSHARED)' OPT='$(OPT)' ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py build;; \
esac

# buildno should really depend on something like LIBRARY_SRC
--- 326,333 ----
# Build the shared modules
sharedmods: $(BUILDPYTHON)
case $$MAKEFLAGS in \
!  *-s*) $(RUNSHARED) CC='$(CC)' LDSHARED='$(BLDSHARED)' OPT='$(OPT)' $(HOSTPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py -q build;; \
!  *) $(RUNSHARED) CC='$(CC)' LDSHARED='$(BLDSHARED)' OPT='$(OPT)' $(HOSTPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py build;; \
esac

# buildno should really depend on something like LIBRARY_SRC
***************
*** 455,461 ****


$(GRAMMAR_H) $(GRAMMAR_C): $(PGEN) $(GRAMMAR_INPUT)
!   -$(PGEN) $(GRAMMAR_INPUT) $(GRAMMAR_H) $(GRAMMAR_C)

$(PGEN): $(PGENOBJS)
$(CC) $(OPT) $(LDFLAGS) $(PGENOBJS) $(LIBS) -o $(PGEN)
--- 457,463 ----


$(GRAMMAR_H) $(GRAMMAR_C): $(PGEN) $(GRAMMAR_INPUT)
!   -$(HOSTPGEN) $(GRAMMAR_INPUT) $(GRAMMAR_H) $(GRAMMAR_C)

$(PGEN): $(PGENOBJS)
$(CC) $(OPT) $(LDFLAGS) $(PGENOBJS) $(LIBS) -o $(PGEN)
***************
*** 748,767 ****
done; \
done
$(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/LICENSE $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/LICENSE.txt
!  PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)  $(RUNSHARED) \
!   ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -Wi -tt $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST) -f \
-x 'badsyntax|site-packages' $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)
!  PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST) $(RUNSHARED) \
!   ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -Wi -tt -O $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST) -f \
-x 'badsyntax|site-packages' $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)
-PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)  $(RUNSHARED) \
!   ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -Wi -t $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST)/site-packages -f \
-x badsyntax $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/site-packages
-PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST) $(RUNSHARED) \
!   ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -Wi -t -O $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST)/site-packages -f \
-x badsyntax $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/site-packages

--- 750,769 ----
done; \
done
$(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/LICENSE $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/LICENSE.txt
!  -PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)  $(RUNSHARED) \
!   $(HOSTPYTHON) -Wi -tt $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST) -f \
-x 'badsyntax|site-packages' $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)
!  -PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST) $(RUNSHARED) \
!   $(HOSTPYTHON) -Wi -tt -O $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST) -f \
-x 'badsyntax|site-packages' $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)
-PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)  $(RUNSHARED) \
!   $(HOSTPYTHON) -Wi -t $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST)/site-packages -f \
-x badsyntax $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/site-packages
-PYTHONPATH=$(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST) $(RUNSHARED) \
!   $(HOSTPYTHON) -Wi -t -O $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/compileall.py \
-d $(LIBDEST)/site-packages -f \
-x badsyntax $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDEST)/site-packages

***************
*** 856,862 ****
# Install the dynamically loadable modules
# This goes into $(exec_prefix)
sharedinstall:
!  $(RUNSHARED) ./$(BUILDPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py install \
   --prefix=$(prefix) \
--install-scripts=$(BINDIR) \
--install-platlib=$(DESTSHARED) \
--- 858,864 ----
# Install the dynamically loadable modules
# This goes into $(exec_prefix)
sharedinstall:
!  $(RUNSHARED) $(HOSTPYTHON) -E $(srcdir)/setup.py install \
   --prefix=$(prefix) \
--install-scripts=$(BINDIR) \
--install-platlib=$(DESTSHARED) \
diff -r -c -b Python-2.4.5/Modules/pwdmodule.c Python-2.4.5-android/Modules/pwdmodule.c
*** Python-2.4.5/Modules/pwdmodule.c Wed Sep 27 21:17:32 2006
--- Python-2.4.5-android/Modules/pwdmodule.c Fri Dec 19 10:26:14 2008
***************
*** 77,83 ****
#ifdef __VMS
SETS(setIndex++, "");
#else
!  SETS(setIndex++, p->pw_gecos);
#endif
SETS(setIndex++, p->pw_dir);
SETS(setIndex++, p->pw_shell);
--- 77,83 ----
#ifdef __VMS
SETS(setIndex++, "");
#else
!  SETS(setIndex++, "");//p->pw_gecos);
#endif
SETS(setIndex++, p->pw_dir);
SETS(setIndex++, p->pw_shell);
diff -r -c -b Python-2.4.5/Modules/socketmodule.c Python-2.4.5-android/Modules/socketmodule.c
*** Python-2.4.5/Modules/socketmodule.c Tue Oct 10 18:20:41 2006
--- Python-2.4.5-android/Modules/socketmodule.c Fri Dec 19 17:51:36 2008
***************
*** 61,66 ****
--- 61,67 ----

*/

+ #define INET_ADDRSTRLEN 16
#ifdef __APPLE__
/*
 * inet_aton is not available on OSX 10.3, yet we want to use a binary
diff -r -c -b Python-2.4.5/Objects/fileobject.c Python-2.4.5-android/Objects/fileobject.c
*** Python-2.4.5/Objects/fileobject.c Tue Jan 23 16:09:19 2007
--- Python-2.4.5-android/Objects/fileobject.c Fri Dec 19 16:47:32 2008
***************
*** 1,5 ****
--- 1,6 ----
/* File object implementation */

+ #include "/android_src/bionic/libc/stdio/clrerr.c"
#include "Python.h"
#include "structmember.h"

diff -r -c -b Python-2.4.5/Python/pystrtod.c Python-2.4.5-android/Python/pystrtod.c
*** Python-2.4.5/Python/pystrtod.c Tue Jun  8 20:52:54 2004
--- Python-2.4.5-android/Python/pystrtod.c Fri Dec 19 10:18:11 2008
***************
*** 54,61 ****

fail_pos = NULL;

!  locale_data = localeconv();
!  decimal_point = locale_data->decimal_point;
decimal_point_len = strlen(decimal_point);

assert(decimal_point_len != 0);
--- 54,61 ----

fail_pos = NULL;

!  //locale_data = localeconv();
!  decimal_point = '.';//locale_data->decimal_point;
decimal_point_len = strlen(decimal_point);

assert(decimal_point_len != 0);
***************
*** 218,225 ****

PyOS_snprintf(buffer, buf_len, format, d);

!  locale_data = localeconv();
!  decimal_point = locale_data->decimal_point;
decimal_point_len = strlen(decimal_point);

assert(decimal_point_len != 0);
--- 218,225 ----

PyOS_snprintf(buffer, buf_len, format, d);

!  //locale_data = localeconv();
!  decimal_point = '.';//locale_data->decimal_point;
decimal_point_len = strlen(decimal_point);

assert(decimal_point_len != 0);
diff -r -c -b Python-2.4.5/setup.py Python-2.4.5-android/setup.py
*** Python-2.4.5/setup.py Sun Oct  8 19:41:25 2006
--- Python-2.4.5-android/setup.py Fri Dec 19 17:26:29 2008
***************
*** 15,21 ****
from distutils.command.install_lib import install_lib

# This global variable is used to hold the list of modules to be disabled.
! disabled_module_list = []

def add_dir_to_list(dirlist, dir):
  """Add the directory 'dir' to the list 'dirlist' (at the front) if
--- 15,33 ----
from distutils.command.install_lib import install_lib

# This global variable is used to hold the list of modules to be disabled.
! disabled_module_list = [
!     '_ctypes',
!     '_curses',
!     '_curses_panel',
!     '_locale',
!     '_ssl',
!     'crypt',
!     'linuxaudiodev',
!     'nis',
!     'ossaudiodev',
!     'readline',
!     'zlib',
!     ]

def add_dir_to_list(dirlist, dir):
  """Add the directory 'dir' to the list 'dirlist' (at the front) if
***************
*** 199,204 ****
--- 211,218 ----
          self.announce('WARNING: skipping import check for Cygwin-based "%s"'
              % ext.name)
          return
+         if os.environ.get('CROSS_COMPILE') == 'yes':
+             return
      ext_filename = os.path.join(
          self.build_lib,
          self.get_ext_filename(self.get_ext_fullname(ext.name)))
  • Download agcc.
  • Make a copy of agcc called ag++ and apply the following patch.
*** agcc 2008-11-06 18:22:48.000000000 +0100
--- ag++ 2008-12-19 21:19:21.000000000 +0100
***************
*** 32,41 ****

# Dance around to find the actual android toolchain path (it's very
# deep, so links on $PATH are going to be common.
! my $GCC = `which arm-eabi-gcc`;
$GCC = qx(cd `dirname $GCC`; /bin/pwd);
chomp $GCC;
! die "bad arm-eabi-gcc path" if $GCC !~ /(.*)\/prebuilt\//;
my $DROID = $1;

my $ALIB = "$DROID/out/target/product/generic/obj/lib";
--- 32,41 ----

# Dance around to find the actual android toolchain path (it's very
# deep, so links on $PATH are going to be common.
! my $GCC = `which arm-eabi-g++`;
$GCC = qx(cd `dirname $GCC`; /bin/pwd);
chomp $GCC;
! die "bad arm-eabi-g++ path" if $GCC !~ /(.*)\/prebuilt\//;
my $DROID = $1;

my $ALIB = "$DROID/out/target/product/generic/obj/lib";
***************
*** 174,180 ****
if($have_src and $mode ne "-E") { $need_cpp = $need_compile = 1; }

# Assemble the command:
! my @cmd = ("arm-eabi-gcc");
if($mode ne "DEFAULT") { @cmd = (@cmd, $mode); }
if(defined $out) { @cmd = (@cmd, "-o", $out); }
if($need_cpp) { @cmd = (@cmd, @include_paths, @preprocess_args); }
--- 174,180 ----
if($have_src and $mode ne "-E") { $need_cpp = $need_compile = 1; }

# Assemble the command:
! my @cmd = ("arm-eabi-g++");
if($mode ne "DEFAULT") { @cmd = (@cmd, $mode); }
if(defined $out) { @cmd = (@cmd, "-o", $out); }
if($need_cpp) { @cmd = (@cmd, @include_paths, @preprocess_args); }
  • Add agcc and ag++ to your path.
  • Add /android_src/prebuilt/linux-x86/toolchain/arm-eabi-4.2.1/bin to your path (the Android toolchain).
  • Add /android_src/out/host/linux-x86/bin to your path (the Android development tools).
  • Reconfigure Python for Android.
$ CROSS_COMPILE=yes CXX=ag++ CC=agcc AR=arm-eabi-ar \
RANLIB=arm-eabi-ranlib LD=arm-eabi-ld AS=arm-eabi-as \
STRIP=arm-eabi-strip ./configure --host=linux --build=arm-linux --prefix=/data
  • Remove the posix module from the Makefile and from /python_src/Modules/config.c using the following patch.
*** Python-2.4.5/Makefile Fri Dec 19 22:21:20 2008
--- Python-2.4.5-android/Makefile Fri Dec 19 22:23:50 2008
***************
*** 21,27 ****

# === Variables set by makesetup ===

! MODOBJS=          Modules/threadmodule.o  Modules/signalmodule.o  Modules/posixmodule.o  Modules/errnomodule.o  Modules/pwdmodule.o  Modules/_sre.o  Modules/_codecsmodule.o  Modules/zipimport.o  Modules/symtablemodule.o  Modules/xxsubtype.o
MODLIBS=        $(LOCALMODLIBS) $(BASEMODLIBS)

# === Variables set by configure
--- 21,27 ----

# === Variables set by makesetup ===

! MODOBJS=          Modules/threadmodule.o  Modules/signalmodule.o  Modules/errnomodule.o  Modules/pwdmodule.o  Modules/_sre.o  Modules/_codecsmodule.o  Modules/zipimport.o  Modules/symtablemodule.o  Modules/xxsubtype.o
MODLIBS=        $(LOCALMODLIBS) $(BASEMODLIBS)

# === Variables set by configure
*** Python-2.4.5/Modules/config.c Fri Dec 19 22:21:20 2008
--- Python-2.4.5-android/Modules/config.c Fri Dec 19 22:26:06 2008
***************
*** 21,27 ****

extern void initthread(void);
extern void initsignal(void);
! extern void initposix(void);
extern void initerrno(void);
extern void initpwd(void);
extern void init_sre(void);
--- 21,27 ----

extern void initthread(void);
extern void initsignal(void);
! //extern void initposix(void);
extern void initerrno(void);
extern void initpwd(void);
extern void init_sre(void);
***************
*** 40,46 ****

{"thread", initthread},
{"signal", initsignal},
!  {"posix", initposix},
{"errno", initerrno},
{"pwd", initpwd},
{"_sre", init_sre},
--- 40,46 ----

{"thread", initthread},
{"signal", initsignal},
! // {"posix", initposix},
{"errno", initerrno},
{"pwd", initpwd},
{"_sre", init_sre},
  • Build and install Python to a local directory.
$ make install prefix=./python-android HOSTPYTHON=./hostpython \
HOSTPGEN=./Parser/hostpgen BLDSHARED="agcc -shared" CROSS_COMPILE=yes
  • Remove some unnecessary files and push Python to your G1 or emulator.
$ cd ./python-android
$ rm -rf man include lib/python2.4/test
$ find . -name '*.pyc' -exec rm {} \;
$ find . -name '*.pyo' -exec rm {} \;
$ find . -type d -not -name '.' | perl -pe 's,\./,/data/,' | xargs -L1 adb shell mkdir
$ adb push . data
And here it is.


Update
I've uploaded the python2.4 binary I built for Android. It's missing lots of libraries, but it runs :) I haven't corrected the build instructions yet, but I'll hopefully get to that soon.
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