Manual:Pywikibot/Installation

Initial setup
There are four basic steps to installing pywikibot:
 * 1) Decide which version to use,
 * 2) Download or update Python,
 * 3) Download pywikibot,
 * 4) Configure pywikibot's basic settings.

Two versions of pywikibot
There are two branches under active development. You can choose between:
 * Core, which should be your first choice. If you don't know what to choose, take this branch.
 * Compat (former "trunk") is an older version of the framework. If you are editing on old wikis (pre-1.16 or so), or require one of the scripts that is not available on core yet (see the compatibility list), this is what you want.

Downloading Python
Unix systems typically have a recent-enough version of Python (2.5 for compat, 2.6 for core) installed. Check with python --version.

Mac OS X 10.8+ has a version of Python that is recent enough to run pywikibot. If you run an older OS X, or are unsure, download and install Python 2.7 from http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.7.6/

For Windows, download and install Python 2.7 from http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.7.6/

Pywikibot currently does not work on Python 3.

Download Pywikibot
The easiest way to download Pywikibot is to use [http://tools.wmflabs.org/pywikibot/ the latest nightly release]. Just download the pywikibot zip file to your computer and decompress the file – there is no further installation required.

Download Pywikibot with Git
For installing with Git you should run:
 * For core (formerly "rewrite")
 * For compat (formerly "trunk")

the  option. automatically install required submodules (like i18n messages or spelling) but if you didn't use this option, after cloning you should install externals. There are two (i18n is really required even for English language bots):

Download Pywikibot with SVN
If you don't want to use Git you can still use SVN. For installing with SVN you should run To update the code:
 * For core (formerly rewrite)
 * For compat (formerly trunk)

Download Pywikibot with TortoiseSVN for Windows user
If you like using TortoiseSVN you may use it as follows:


 * For core release (formerly rewrite)
 * 1) Right-click on your prefered directory and execute
 * 2) Choose   and paste the URL
 * 3) Choose   and change the default directory which is   e.g. to   if you like.
 * 4) Confirm with
 * Now we have to install external libraries used by the framework. There are different ways to do that e.g. again with the checkout command. Another way is using properties. You may set it manually but it is very easy to use the preference file named .svnprops comming with the framework which sets all the needed properties:


 * 1) Right-click your working directory
 * 2) Select the last item in the drop list which might be folder's
 * 3) Select   tab and click on   button
 * 4) click   and select the file   in your framework folder
 * 5) Confirm with   for property settings
 * 6) Confirm with   for folder properties
 * 7) Now right-click onto your working copy and select   to download the external libraries.


 * For compat release (formerly trunk)
 * 1) Right-click on your prefered directory and execute
 * 2) Choose   and paste the URL
 * 3) Choose   and change the default directory which is   e.g. to   if you like.
 * 4) Confirm with
 * Now we have to install external libraries used by the framework. There are different ways to do that e.g. again with the checkout command. Another way is using properties in a similar way as in core release.

Right-click on your working copy and choose
 * Updating the working copy

Shortcut in command line
To allow your source code to be developed outside of the pywikibot source directory, add something like:

to a file that gets run on login, usually ~/.bashrc - this avoids typing the export PYTHONPATH part in each time you log in. Naturally, change paths to match your installation.

Similarly, you can set the PYWIKIBOT_DIR environment variable to specify the directory in which user-specific information is stored (in particular, user-config.py which contains login data for the bot).

Windows users: create a shortcut
How to make a quick shortcut to run commands (Windows users):

If you're installing Pywikibot in a folder such as "My Documents" it may be troublesome to repeatedly use the "chdir" command to go into the folder to run the bots.

On Windows you can create a shortcut which will open the command box which you can use to run bots easily. Just follow these steps to create one:
 * 1) Right click the folder pywikibot is installed in.
 * 2) Click "Create shortcut". A new shortcut icon with the arrow key will be created.
 * 3) Right click on the new shortcut, and click properties.
 * 4) In the properties window, in the target box type in cmd.exe.
 * 5) In the "start in" box enter the full address of pywikibot.
 * 6) Click "OK".
 * 7) Click the shortcut and the cmd.exe opens up with the full path listed.
 * If you press F5 to refresh the window (or re-open the shortcut's properties), you will notice that the shortcut icon has changed.

Updating
 
 * If you used Git for downloading Pywikibot, you must go to the your directory and run the following command:


 * If you are using a nightly version, the process is a bit more complicated. You have to re-download a full copy from [http://tools.wmflabs.org/pywikibot/ here]. Before installing it, backup your configuration files and scripts (user-config.py, any family file, or custom script that you might have created, and any current dump xml file you're using for a wiki). Replace your pywikibot directory by the new version you just downloaded. Restore your configuration files. If you're not sure of what you're doing, do not erase but keep a backup of your complete old pywikibot directory, to avoid losing any important files.
 * You may need to do   as well, if you need up-to-date i18n files.

Automatic updating on Wikimedia Labs or Toolserver
For automatic updating you can make update bash file and put it in root and fill it with these commands, For WMF labs (in your service group):

and then run crontab -e and enter the following to make your bot to run every day at 00:00AM (midnight):

Notice: in these cods yourservicegroup is name of your service group (without "-local").

For auto-updating in toolserver you just need to as the same as above but instead of "/data/project/yourservicegroup/" you need to enter "/data/project/yourusername/" which is "yourusername" is your user name!

Dependencies
The pywikibot framework is quite a big and complex code and as such needs external python modules (libraries) from other sources also in order to work properly. The dependencies can be installed manually or automatically (not supported by core yet).

If any issues arise during installation (of dependencies) please file a bug report or write to the pywikipedia-l maillist.

Automatic (recommended)
If available this is the recommended way, because this will result in an identical setup on all machines. All you have to do is just execute your favorite script after installation and pywikibot will ask you whether you want to install missing packages.

Packages will be installed from OS package management if possible (all Linux, not under win). If they cannot be found they will be downloaded as archive from original source, extracted and installed. In the course of this process a few packages have to be slightly modified in order to work seamlessly with pywikibot. This modification needs an additional binary tool called patch (patch.exe under win). Unfortunately this is not available from MS; however, we can use a port of the original linux code ([http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/patch.htm gnuwin32 patch.exe])

It is worth mentioning here that - despite the OS package management "install mode" - all files are installed locally into the externals/ directory of pywikibot. This is a very useful feature for users that do not have permission to install software to their system, e.g. non-admins.

Manual (for experts)
In order to install the needed packages manually, you first need to know which ones. A full list of all needed modules can be found in [https://git.wikimedia.org/blob/pywikibot%2Fcompat/553235e6fadaa27427b295bfa531b5904ad38f1a/externals%2F__init__.py externals/__init__.py] and contains: depending of which script will be used: Which ones you really need, depends strongly on the script you intend to run - if you are unsure use the automatic mode above. In order to check correct installation just run a bot script. If the dependencies are satisfied everything will be ok, else the framework will complain and ask whether it should install missing packages automatically.
 * framework core code:
 * i18n [git submodule]
 * spelling [git submodule]
 * httplib2 [git submodule]
 * BeautifulSoup.py [included since important]
 * patch.exe
 * opencv, opencv/haarcascades [git submodule]
 * pycolorname [git submodule]
 * irclib
 * mwparserfromhell
 * parse-crontab
 * odfpy
 * openpyxl
 * python-colormath
 * jseg, jseg/jpeg-6b
 * mlpy
 * music21
 * ocropus
 * pydmtx
 * py_w3c
 * zbar
 * (slic)
 * (bob, xbob_flandmark)

Setup on Wikimedia Labs/Tool Labs server
In order to install your bot onto the Wikimedia servers and run it from there, make sure first to become familiar with Wikimedia Labs/Tool Labs environment.

In the next step you have to request several accounts (for labs, for the tools project, your tool), provide an ssh key and so on. How to do this and then proceed, is described in full detail in Setup pywikibot on Labs.

Pywikibot source repo moved (from svn) to git, please confer Manual:Pywikipediabot/Gerrit first.

The bots projects here has become obsolete use tools now, in order to do so follow Tools/Help to get an account. Then create your tool (service group).

If you used the toolserver in the past and know how everything used to work there, confer migrating from toolserver for more info.

Now you are ready to start. Login to Labs tools project: $ ssh USERNAME@tools-login.wmflabs.org

switch to the tool account with maintainer@tools-login:~$ become toolname local-toolname@tools-login:~$

Now install/clone the pywikibot code to your tool account as described below.

core
Similar to the instructions given in [<tvar|pwb_mailinglist_instruction>http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/pywikipedia-l/2013-August/008168.html</> this mail] do: $ git clone --recursive https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/pywikibot/core.git pywikibot-core $ cd pywikibot-core

Now you have to setup pywikibot. Choose any one of the following processes to configure your system:
 * Execute
 * Run your favorite bot script (e.g. ) since you are doing this in a fresh clone, it will trigger a bunch of questions on how you want to configure your local copy, answer them carefully in order to proceed.
 * If you already have a config file(s) from a previous version, you can copy those existing files into the right places (e.g. pywikibot-compat/).

Further things you might have to to do (depending on what bot scripts you want to run) is to setup all externals properly - which still has to be done manually in core $ cd externals $ cat READM

and follow the instructions there.

You will also have to enter the password for your bot eventually.

Now you have finished the configuration of core and can continue setting up the jobs to execute.

compat
Do: $ git clone --recursive https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/pywikibot/compat.git pywikibot-compat

Now, as similarly described in the core section above, you have to setup pywikibot. Choose any one of the following processes to configure your system:
 * Execute
 * Run your favorite bot script (e.g. ) since you are doing this in a fresh clone, it will trigger a bunch of questions on how you want to configure your local copy, answer them carefully in order to proceed.
 * If you already have a config file(s) from a previous version, you can copy those existing files into the right places (e.g. pywikibot-compat/).

See this article for more details on configuring your bot including creating the files manually. You may setup all externals manually if you want - but this is not needed in compat, confer Manual:Pywikipediabot/Installation for further info.

You will also have to enter the password for your bot eventually.

Now you have finished the configuration of compat and can continue setting up the webspace and jobs to execute.

Setup the webspace
Per default, the directory listing on http://tools.wmflabs.org/TOOLNAME is disabled. If you want to allow it for all users, login to your tool account (as already described) and $ cd ~/public_html $ echo Options +Indexes >> .htacces

If you run a bot with the  option, you will find the log files within the logs/</tt> directory. If you want to allow users to access it from the web, do $ cd ~/public_html $ mkdir logs $ cd logs $ ln -s ~/pywikibot-core/logs cor

If you want a specific file type to be handled differently by your browser, e.g. .log</tt> files like text files, use (confer [<tvar|Move_to_Labs_URL>https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Help:Move_your_bot_to_Labs&direction=prev&oldid=69904</> this]) $ echo AddType text/plain .log >> .htaccess

and (don't forget to) clear your browsers cache afterwards.

Next you might want to consider you cgi-bin</tt> directory $ cd ~/cgi-bin

follow the hints given at wikitech:Nova Resource:Tools/Help exactly, e.g. even the two commands

$ /usr/bin/python     # valid $ /usr/bin/env python # in-vali

work and do the same in shell, only the first one is valid and works here, the second is invalid! Another point to mention is that PHP scripts go into public_html, not cgi-bin. Python scripts on the other hand can be placed in public_html or cgi-bin as you wish. I would recommend to use public_html</tt> for documents and keep it listable, whereas cgi-bin</tt> should be used for CGI scripts and be protected (not listable).

Setup the job submission
In order to setup the submission of the jobs you want to execute and use the grid engine you should first consider wikitech:Nova Resource:Tools/Help and if you are familiar with the Toolserver and its architecture consult Migrating from toolserver also.

In general labs uses SGE and its commands like qsub</tt> et al, this is explained in this document which you should use in order to get an idea which command and what parameters you want to use.

An infinitely running job (e.g. irc-bot) like this (cronie</tt> entry from TS submit host): 06 0 * * * qcronsub -l h_rt=INFINITY -l virtual_free=200M -l arch=lx -N script_wui $HOME/rewrite/pwb.py script_wui.py -log

becomes $ jsub -once -continuous -l h_vmem=256M -N script_wui python $HOME/pywikibot-core/pwb.py script_wui.py -log

or shorter $ jstart -l h_vmem=256M -N script_wui python $HOME/pywikibot-core/pwb.py script_wui.py -log

the first expression is good for debugging. Memory values smaller than 256MB seam not to work here, since that is the minimum. If you experience problems with your jobs, like e.g. Fatal Python error: Couldn't create autoTLSkey mapping you can try increasing the memory value - which is also needed here, because this script uses a second thread for timing and this thread needs memory too. Therefore use finally $ jstart -l h_vmem=512M -N script_wui python $HOME/pywikibot-core/pwb.py script_wui.py -log

Now in order to create a crontab follow Scheduling jobs at regular intervals with cron and setup for crontab file like: $ crontab -e and enter PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin 06 0 * * * jstart -l h_vmem=512M -N script_wui python $HOME/pywikibot-core/pwb.py script_wui.py -lo

Additional configuration
Furthermore additional tools to support you and your bot at work are available:
 * wikitech:Nova Resource:Tools/Help, basically out-of-the-box but just for a short time period
 * wikitech:Nova Resource:Tools/Help
 * Gerrit/New repositories
 * Git/New repositories/Requests