Integrating RStudio Connect with Python

These instructions describe how to install and integrate Python with RStudio Connect.

Once you configure Python with RStudio Connect, users can publish the following content:

• Jupyter Notebooks
• Flask applications
• FastAPI applications
• Plotly Dash applications
• Streamlit applications
• Bokeh applications
• Mixed R and Python content using the reticulate package

Step 1. Install Python

• Install Python on the RStudio Connect server following the documented steps to Install Python.

  Info

  Our recommended installation instructions for Python allow you to make multiple versions of Python available and avoid replacing existing versions of Python when updating system packages.

• Ensure that you install virtualenv in your Python environment by running the following command:

  Terminal

  $ sudo /opt/python/3.7.7/bin/pip install virtualenv
  

Step 2. Install requirements for Python APIs and interactive applications

• Python APIs and interactive applications require the libev development package to be installed:

  RHEL/CentOS

  $ sudo yum install libev-devel
  

  Ubuntu

  $ sudo apt install libev-dev
  

  SUSE

  $ sudo zypper install libev-devel
  

Info

Additional RPM repositories may be required to install libev-devel on CentOS 6. Please note that RStudio no longer supports CentOS 6.

Step 3. Configure Python in RStudio Connect

• Enable Python in RStudio Connect by adding a [Python] section to the RStudio Connect configuration file. This section should contain an Executable option that refers to the location of the Python executable.

  For example, if you installed Python 3.7.7 on the RStudio Connect server, then your configuration file would appear as:

  File: /etc/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.gcfg

  [Python]
  Enabled = true
  Executable = /opt/python/3.7.7/bin/python
  

(Optional) Install additional versions of Python

• To make additional versions of Python available alongside existing versions, repeat the above steps to install a different version of Python to other locations.

• Then, add a new line to the RStudio Connect configuration file with the Executable option for each additional version of Python that you installed.

  For example, if you installed Python 2.7.16, 3.6.5, and 3.7.7 on the RStudio Connect server, then your configuration file would appear as:

  File: /etc/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.gcfg

  [Python]
  Enabled = true
  Executable = /opt/python/2.7.16/bin/python
  Executable = /opt/python/3.6.5/bin/python
  Executable = /opt/python/3.7.7/bin/python
  

Additional Information

For more information on best practices for end users when working with Python and RStudio Connect, refer to the support article on Best Practices for using Python with RStudio Connect.