Build a Suitable Python Interpreter for Spotfire Service for Python (for Linux)

The installation of Spotfire Service for Python on your Spotfire Server includes a Python interpreter and a set of packages to enable using Python. An installation of Spotfire Analyst that connects to the Spotfire Server also includes the same version of a Python interpreter. You can provide a different version of the Python interpreter, if needed, on both the Spotfire Server and Spotfire Analyst.

Most OS-provided Python interpreters on Linux are not well-suited to use with the Spotfire Service for Python. If you want to use another Python interpreter on your Spotfire Server node manager on Linux, then for best compatibility and results, build your Python interpreter from source using a Docker image that closely reflects the runtime environment of Spotfire Service for Python.

Note: CentOS is our preferred Linux distribution for use with Spotfire Service for Python.

This version of Spotfire Service for Python includes dockerfiles that you can use to build a fully-compatible Python interpreter, or you can build an SPK for packages to use with the Spotfire Service for Python. You can build the Python interpreter from either Windows or Linux.

Table 1. Tools to build the Python interpreter and packages SPKs
Tool	Description
python-build-base	Contains a full Python build environment including all necessary dependencies.
python-base	Contains all runtime libraries required to support Python packages.
spotfire-spk	Used to call the python-build-base container to build the SPK containing the Python interpreter, and to build the SPK containing the required packages for Spotfire Service for Python.