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Author: sblask

Dockerfile

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+FROM ubuntu:16.04
+
+COPY build.sh .

README.md

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-# python-3.7-on-ubuntu-16.04
 Scripts to build Python 3.7 on Ubuntu 16.04
+===========================================
+
+You can run build.sh directly, or use Docker like this:
+
+```bash
+    docker build --tag python_builder .
+    docker run --rm --interactive --tty --name python_builder python_builder
+
+    # run inside the docker container:
+    ./build.sh
+
+    # run this from a another terminal while the container is still running:
+    docker cp python_builder:/Python-3.7.2/python3.7_3.7.2-1_amd64.deb .
+
+    # install the package
+    sudo dpkg -i python3.7_3.7.2-1_amd64.deb
+```
+
+Note:
+-----
+
+You should check whether a newer version of Python is available and modify the
+`build.sh` accordingly. The commands above will also have to be modified.

build.sh

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+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -o errexit -o nounset -o pipefail -o xtrace
+
+PYTHON_VERSION=3.7.2
+
+# this must not be plain python as otherwise the system Python gets overridden
+PACKAGE_NAME=python3.7
+
+# sources need to be available for build-deb
+sed --in-place=~orig 's/# deb-src/deb-src/' /etc/apt/sources.list
+
+apt-get update
+apt-get upgrade
+
+# install things we need for this script
+apt-get install --assume-yes \
+    checkinstall \
+    wget \
+
+# install things to compile Python
+apt-get build-dep --assume-yes python3.5
+
+# download the latest version (from https://www.python.org/downloads/source/)
+wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/${PYTHON_VERSION}/Python-${PYTHON_VERSION}.tgz
+
+tar xvf Python-${PYTHON_VERSION}.tgz
+cd Python-${PYTHON_VERSION}
+
+# enabling optimizations requires running tests which takes a long time but results in a faster Python
+./configure \
+    --enable-optimizations \
+    --with-ensurepip=install \
+
+# compile as much as possible in parallel
+make --jobs 4
+
+# use altinstall to not replace the system Python
+checkinstall --pkgname ${PACKAGE_NAME} --pkgversion ${PYTHON_VERSION} --default make altinstall