Splunk Dev

What version of Python ships with Splunk?

halr9000
Motivator

As the version of Python may introduce dependencies and incompatibilities, it's important to know what version is shipped with Splunk.

Tags (2)
1 Solution

halr9000
Motivator

Splunk Enterprise

(Also applies to Splunk heavy or lightweight forwarder.)

Splunk 4.1 - 4.2                 Python 2.6.4
Splunk 4.3                       Python 2.7.2
Splunk 5.0                       Python 2.7.3
Splunk 6.0                       Python 2.7.5
Splunk 6.1                       Python 2.7.5

Universal Forwarder

Python is not included, but it can be used for scripted/modular inputs by installing separately. Inputs.conf files may need to be modified in order to execute scripts, depending on the OS configuration.

How to Determine Python Version

You can always find out the Python version like so:

$SPLUNK_HOME/bin/python --version

Also, the Splunk release notes should reflect the Python version. For example, for 5.0: http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/5.0/ReleaseNotes/Python

View solution in original post

halr9000
Motivator

Splunk Enterprise

(Also applies to Splunk heavy or lightweight forwarder.)

Splunk 4.1 - 4.2                 Python 2.6.4
Splunk 4.3                       Python 2.7.2
Splunk 5.0                       Python 2.7.3
Splunk 6.0                       Python 2.7.5
Splunk 6.1                       Python 2.7.5

Universal Forwarder

Python is not included, but it can be used for scripted/modular inputs by installing separately. Inputs.conf files may need to be modified in order to execute scripts, depending on the OS configuration.

How to Determine Python Version

You can always find out the Python version like so:

$SPLUNK_HOME/bin/python --version

Also, the Splunk release notes should reflect the Python version. For example, for 5.0: http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/5.0/ReleaseNotes/Python

ChrisG
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

Docs are fixed, thanks!

0 Karma

halr9000
Motivator

@ChrisG The docs are wrong. We should have somebody fix that. 😉 Srsly, confirmed this with 5.0.1.

ChrisG
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

The 5.0 release notes say it's Python 2.7.2, not 2.7.3. http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/5.0/ReleaseNotes/Python

0 Karma

dshpritz
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

@halr9000 The last time I tried, I don't believe the sqlite3 module was included either. That may have changed

0 Karma

halr9000
Motivator

@dshpritz answer 3138 (linked above) says that distutils module isn't included, so that's one difference that I'm aware of. I know that our distribution of 2.6 doesn't include argparse, but for all I know, that wasn't included with standard Python until 2.7 anyhow.

0 Karma

dshpritz
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

Also good to know:
From what I understand, this is not the standard distribution of Python, so some of the standard libs might not be available.

0 Karma

halr9000
Motivator

Also note that the Splunk App for VMware "FA" (forwarder appliance) versions 1 and 2 ship with Splunk 4.2.5 configured as a heavy forwarder.

0 Karma
Got questions? Get answers!

Join the Splunk Community Slack to learn, troubleshoot, and make connections with fellow Splunk practitioners in real time!

Meet up IRL or virtually!

Join Splunk User Groups to connect and learn in-person by region or remotely by topic or industry.

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Index This | What travels the world but is also stuck in place?

April 2026 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this ...

Discover New Use Cases: Unlock Greater Value from Your Existing Splunk Data

Realizing the full potential of your Splunk investment requires more than just understanding current usage; it ...

Continue Your Journey: Join Session 2 of the Data Management and Federation Bootcamp ...

As data volumes continue to grow and environments become more distributed, managing and optimizing data ...