Compile your Python code to Pycache on Upsun

When the python interpreter executes python files, it compiles them to bytecode and saves it as files in a directory called __pycache__ in the same directory as the code itself. You might have seen such files, here’s an example from a Django project:

$ ls -1 __pycache__/
__init__.cpython-311.pyc
admin.cpython-311.pyc
apps.cpython-311.pyc
models.cpython-311.pyc
tests.cpython-311.pyc
views.cpython-311.pyc

This saves time by allowing the compile step to be skipped in subsequent executions.

On Upsun, python code is deployed onto a read-only file system. The python interpreter won’t be able to save the compiled bytecode onto that file system, and it would need to compile the python code every execution. This is wasteful.

You have two options for how to get the bytecode into place to gain the efficiency needed for production.

  1. Compile the python code and check the __pycache__ directories into git.
  2. Let Upsun compile the python code in the build hook.

The second option is superior because it is compiling on the system it will run on, and you won’t get any unexpected errors due to mismatches in versions or operating systems.

First, prevent any __pycache__ files from ever getting into git by adding this to your .gitignore file.

# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
__pycache__/
*.py[cod]
*$py.class

To have Upsun compile the python code in the build hook, your build hook should look something like this in .upsun/config.yaml:

    hooks:
      build: |
        set -eux
        pip install -r requirements.txt

        # Compile python application code
        python -m compileall myproject

First the python requirements are installed. Then all of the python code in myproject is compiled. The file system is still writable during the build hook phase and all of the python code will be compiled.

After this has been sent to your Upsun environment (upsun push) you can ssh into your application and check:

upsun ssh
find . -type d -name '__pycache__'
./__pycache__
./migrations/__pycache__

In my example the presence of two __pycache__ directories shows that the command has worked.

Thanks for reading the tutorial! If you have any questions, my email address is rob@robshouse.net and you can find me on LinkedIn. There is also an Upsun Discord forum where I hang out, and you’re welcome to find me there.