Tutorial on how to use the platform module to obtain system information in Python

Operating system related

• system(): operating system type (see example)
• version(): operating system version
• release(): operating system release number, for example, win 7 returns 7, and NT, 2.2.0, etc.
• platform(aliased=0, terse=0): operating system information string, combined with system()+win32_ver()[:3]
• win32_ver(release='', version='', csd='', ptype=''): win system related information
• linux_distribution(distname='', version='', id='', supported_dists=('SuSE', 'debiaare', 'yellowdog', 'gentoo', 'UnitedLinux', 'turbolinux'), full_distribution_name= 1): Linux system related information
• dist(distname='', version='', id='', supported_dists=('SuSE', 'debian', 'fedora', 'redhat', 'centos', 'mandrake', 'mandriva' , 'rocks', 'slackware', 'yellowdog', 'gentoo', 'UnitedLinux', 'turbolinux')): Try to obtain Linux OS release version information. Return (distname, version, id). dist means release version .
• mac_ver(release='', versioninfo=('', '', ''), machine=''): mac version
• java_ver(release='', vendor='', vminfo=('', '', ''), osinfo=('', '', '')): java version
• libc_ver(executable=r'c:Python27python.exe', lib='', version='', chunksize=2048): libc version, Linux related.

The returned tuple of the above corresponding version query corresponds to its formal parameters.

platform.system()
'Linux' # python 3.3.2+ 64 bits on debian jessie 64 bits
'Windows' # python 3.3.2 32 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
'Windows' # python 3.3.2 64 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
'Darwin' # python 3.4.1 64 bits on mac os x 10.9.4
'Java' 

platform.version()
'#1 SMP Debian 3.10.11-1 (2013-09-10)' # python 3.3.2+ 64 bits on debian jessie 64 bits
'6.2.9200' # python 3.3.2 32 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
'6.2.9200' # python 3.3.2 64 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
'Darwin Kernel Version 13.3.0: Tue Jun 3 21:27:35 PDT 2014; root:xnu-2422.110.17~1/RELEASE_X86_64' # python 3.4.1 64 bits on mac os x 10.9.4

platform()
'Windows-7-6.1.7601-SP1'

win32_ver()
('7', '6.1.7601', 'SP1', u'Multiprocessor Free')

platform.dist()
('debian', 'jessie/sid', '') # python 3.3.2+ 64 bits on debian jessie 64 bits

System Information

• uname(): Returns tuple, system, node, release, version, machine, processor.
• architecture(executable=r'c:Python27python.exe', bits='', linkage=''): System architecture
• machine(): CPU platform, AMD, x86? (see example)
• node(): node name (machine name, such as Hom-T400)
• processor() : CPU information
• system_alias(system, release, version): Returns the corresponding tuple.. Useless.
• platform.architecture()

('64bit', 'ELF') # python 3.3.2+ 64 bits on debian jessie 64 bits
('32bit', 'WindowsPE') # python 2.7.2 32 bits on windows 7 64 bits
('64bit', 'WindowsPE') # python 3.3.2 64 bits on wndows 8.1 64 bits
('64bit', '') # python 3.4.1 64 bits on mac os x 10.9.4

platform.machine()
'x86_64' # python 3.3.2+ 64 bits on debian jessie 64 bits
'AMD64' # python 3.3.2 32 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
'AMD64' # python 3.3.2 64 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
'x86_64' # python 3.4.1 64 bits on mac os x 10.9.4

platform.node()
'Hom-T400' 

platform.processor()
'Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10, GenuineIntel'

platform.uname()
('Windows', 'Hom-T400', '7', '6.1.7601', 'AMD64', 'Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10, GenuineIntel')

uname_result(system='Linux', node='work', release='3.10-3-amd64', version='#1 SMP Debian 3.10.11-1 (2013-09-10)', machine='x86_64', processor='') # python 3.3.2+ 64 bits on debian jessie 64 bits
 
uname_result(system='Windows', node='work-xxx', release='8', version='6.2.9200', machine='AMD64', processor='Intel64 Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9,GenuineIntel') # python 3.3.2 32 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
 
uname_result(system='Darwin', node='mba', release='13.3.0', version='Darwin Kernel Version 13.3.0: Tue Jun 3 21:27:35 PDT 2014; root:xnu-2422.110.17~1/RELEASE_X86_64', machine='x86_64', processor='i386') # python 3.4.1 64 bits on mac os x 10.9.4

Python related

• python_version(): py version number
• python_branch(): python branch (subversion information), usually empty.
• python_build(): python compilation number (default) and date.
• python_compiler(): py compiler information
• python_implementation(): python installation implementation method, such as CPython, Jython, Pypy, IronPython (.net), etc.
• python_revision(): python type revision information, usually empty.
• python_version_tuple(): tuple divided by python version number.
• popen(cmd, mode='r', bufsize=None): portable popen() interface, executes various commands.
• python_verison()

'3.3.2+' # python 3.3.2+ 64 bits on debian jessie 64 bits
'3.3.3' # python 3.3.2 32 bits on windows 8.1 64 bits
python_version_tuple()
('2', '7', '2')
python_build()
('default', 'Jun 12 2011 15:08:59')
python_compiler()
'MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)'
pl.python_implementation()
'CPython'

Get username:

>>> import getpass 
>>> getpass.getuser() 
'root'

Get environment variables:

>>> import os
>>> import pwd
>>> os.environ['LANG']
'en_US.UTF-8'
>>> print os.getenv('LANG')
en_US.UTF-8
>>> print os.getenv('PWD')
/root
>>> print os.getenv('HOME')
/root
>>> print os.getenv('USER')
root
>>> print os.getenv('HOSTNAME')
localhost.localdomain
>>> print os.getenv('SHELL')
/bin/bash
>>> pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())
pwd.struct_passwd(pw_name='root', pw_passwd='x', pw_uid=0, pw_gid=0, pw_gecos='root', pw_dir='/root', pw_shell='/bin/bash')
>>> pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())[0] #获得用户名
'root'
>>> pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())[5] #获得家目录
'/root'
>>> pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())[6] #获得shell
'/bin/bash'

There is also os.environ.get, which will return all environment variables as a dictionary