Python for iOS -- with partial fork() and exec() ability

This project is a patch of Python-2.7.13, designed to make it compile on iOS. Python becomes a framework, and your programs call python_main(argc, argv) to execute python scripts.

This framework was designed to be used in conjunction with Blinkshell, OpenTerm or iVim, but it can be used independently.

Compilation:

• type getPackages.sh

This will download the Python-2.7.13 source code, and patch it. It will also download libffi-3.2.1, and patch it.

After patching, you have two Xcode projects:

• libffi-3.2.1/libffi.xcodeproj
• Python_ios.xcodeproj

Open the first one, build it, and move the product libffi.a to this directory.

For Python, you need openSSL.framework and libssh2.framework. They are available as part of Blink or in libssh2-for-iOS.

For python to make system calls, we use the ios_system framework. Download it, compile, and it will be linked with python.

The system commands available depend on a list of #define at the start of ios_system.m.

Installation (on your device)

Once you have compiled the Python-ios framework, you can link it with your favorite app (I've done it with Blinkshell, OpenTerm and iVim).

You will need to transfer the Python scripts to your device:

• tar -cvzf pythonScripts.tar.gz Lib/
• transfer the pythonScripts.tar.gz on the device, for example using iTunes
• on the iOS device: tar -xvzf pythonScripts.tar.gz
• mv Lib ../Library/lib/python2.7

Also transfer the scripts:

• tar -cvzf binaries.tar.gz Tools/scripts/
• transfer the binaries.tar.gz on your device, for example using iTunes
• on the iOS device: tar -xvzf binaries.tar.gz
• mv Tools/scripts ../Library/bin

Then, install a few useful modules:

• python -m ensurepip
• pip install urllib3

(Other pip calls are up to you).

Inside Python, you can call the shell commands defined by the frameworks: ls, cat, grep...

In the shell, you can use all Python scripts: pydoc, which.py, diff.py...

Installing new packages

To install more packages, you have to try different options, in order of complexity:

• pip install packagename, which will work if the package has a universal wheel,
• pip download packagename to download the source. Expand the source and run python setup.py install, which will work most of the time.
• if the package tries to compile C extensions, install will fail (obviously). Look in the documentation to see if there is an option to install without extensions: --pure install for mercurial, --without-speedups for MarkupSafe, setenv TORNADO_EXTENSION 0 for tornado... There are no standard way to express this.
• if none of the above work, you'll have to add the C extensions to the Python source group, and edit config.c to add the relevant line: {"packageName", init_packageName}, (the actual function name and package name will vary).

Mercurial

To install mercurial:

• download the source: curl https://www.mercurial-scm.org/release/mercurial-4.2.2.tar.gz -O
• unpack the source: tar -xvfz mercurial-4.2.2.tar.gz
• install: cd mercurial-4.2.2
• python setup.py --pure install

(you can't use pip because pip will try to compile, so you have to do a "pure" install, using only Python).

Mercurial will use your SSH keys, stored in ~/Documents/.ssh/ You can create them using Blink "config", then save them to ~/Documents/.ssh/ using ssh-save-id [name-of-the-key]. You will also have to upload the public key on your server (e.g. Bitbucket). Finally, you will either need the CAcert certificates or disable mercurial "clonebundles" extension: hg --config ui.clonebundles=false

Your Mercurial configuration file is stored in ~/Documents/.hgrc (you don't have the right to write in ~/.hgrc in iOS, unless it's jailbroken). You can place it elsewhere if you change the value of the $HGRCPATH environment variable.

Once you've done that, you're done. Try hg clone your-repository.