Command line options

It is possible to skip the GUI and start web2py directly from the command line by typing something like:

python web2py.py -a 'your password' -i 127.0.0.1 -p 8000

When web2py starts, it creates a file called “parameters_8000.py” where it stores the hashed password. If you use ““ as the password, web2py prompts you for it.

For additional security, you can start web2py with:

python web2py.py -a '<recycle>' -i 127.0.0.1 -p 8000

In this case web2py reuses the previously stored hashed password. If no password is provided, or if the “parameters_8000.py” file is deleted, the web-based administrative interface is disabled.

On some Unix/Linux systems, if the password is

<pam_user:some_user>

web2py uses the PAM password of the Operating System account of some_user to authenticate the administrator, unless blocked by the PAM configuration.

web2py normally runs with CPython (the C implementation of the Python interpreter created by Guido van Rossum), but it can also run with PyPy and Jython. The latter possibility allows the use of web2py in the context of a Java EE infrastructure. To use Jython, simply replace “python web2py.py …” with “jython web2py.py …”.

The “web2py.py” script can take many command-line arguments specifying the maximum number of threads, enabling of SSL, etc. For a complete list type:

>>> python web2py.py -h
Usage: python web2py.py
web2py Web Framework startup script. ATTENTION: unless a password
is specified (-a 'passwd'), web2py will attempt to run a GUI.
In this case command line options are ignored.
Options:
  --version             show program's version number and exit
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -i IP, --ip=IP        IP address of the server (e.g., 127.0.0.1 or ::1);
                        Note: This value is ignored when using the
                        'interfaces' option.
  -p PORT, --port=PORT  port of server (8000)
  -a PASSWORD, --password=PASSWORD
                        password to be used for administration (use -a
                        "<recycle>" to reuse the last password))
  -c SSL_CERTIFICATE, --ssl_certificate=SSL_CERTIFICATE
                        file that contains ssl certificate
  -k SSL_PRIVATE_KEY, --ssl_private_key=SSL_PRIVATE_KEY
                        file that contains ssl private key
  --ca-cert=SSL_CA_CERTIFICATE
                        Use this file containing the CA certificate to
                        validate X509 certificates from clients
  -d PID_FILENAME, --pid_filename=PID_FILENAME
                        file to store the pid of the server
  -l LOG_FILENAME, --log_filename=LOG_FILENAME
                        file to log connections
  -n NUMTHREADS, --numthreads=NUMTHREADS
                        number of threads (deprecated)
  --minthreads=MINTHREADS
                        minimum number of server threads
  --maxthreads=MAXTHREADS
                        maximum number of server threads
  -s SERVER_NAME, --server_name=SERVER_NAME
                        server name for the web server
  -q REQUEST_QUEUE_SIZE, --request_queue_size=REQUEST_QUEUE_SIZE
                        max number of queued requests when server unavailable
  -o TIMEOUT, --timeout=TIMEOUT
                        timeout for individual request (10 seconds)
  -z SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT, --shutdown_timeout=SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT
                        timeout on shutdown of server (5 seconds)
  --socket-timeout=SOCKET_TIMEOUT
                        timeout for socket (5 second)
  -f FOLDER, --folder=FOLDER
                        location of the applications folder (also known as directory)
  -v, --verbose         increase --test verbosity
  -Q, --quiet           disable all output
  -D DEBUGLEVEL, --debug=DEBUGLEVEL
                        set debug output level (0-100, 0 means all, 100 means
                        none; default is 30)
  -S APPNAME, --shell=APPNAME
                        run web2py in interactive shell or IPython (if
                        installed) with specified appname (if app does not
                        exist it will be created). APPNAME like a/c/f (c,f
                        optional)
  -B, --bpython         run web2py in interactive shell or bpython (if
                        installed) with specified appname (if app does not
                        exist it will be created). Use combined with --shell
  -P, --plain           only use plain python shell; should be used with
                        --shell option
  -M, --import_models   auto import model files; default is False; should be
                        used with --shell option
  -R PYTHON_FILE, --run=PYTHON_FILE
                        run PYTHON_FILE in web2py environment; should be used
                        with --shell option
  -K SCHEDULER, --scheduler=SCHEDULER
                        run scheduled tasks for the specified apps: expects a
                        list of app names as -K app1,app2,app3 or a list of
                        app:groups as -K app1:group1:group2,app2:group1 to
                        override specific group_names. (only strings, no
                        spaces allowed. Requires a scheduler defined in the
                        models
  -X, --with-scheduler  run schedulers alongside webserver
  -T TEST_PATH, --test=TEST_PATH
                        run doctests in web2py environment; TEST_PATH like
                        a/c/f (c,f optional)
  -C, --cron            trigger a cron run manually; usually invoked from a
                        system crontab
  --softcron            triggers the use of softcron
  -Y, --run-cron        start the background cron process
  -J, --cronjob         identify cron-initiated command
  -L CONFIG, --config=CONFIG
                        config file
  -F PROFILER_DIR, --profiler=PROFILER_DIR
                        profiler dir
  -t, --taskbar         use web2py gui and run in taskbar (system tray)
  --nogui               text-only, no GUI
  -A ARGS, --args=ARGS  should be followed by a list of arguments to be passed
                        to script, to be used with -S, -A must be the last
                        option
  --no-banner           Do not print header banner
  --interfaces=INTERFACES
                        listen on multiple addresses: "ip1:port1:key1:cert1:ca
                        _cert1;ip2:port2:key2:cert2:ca_cert2;..."
                        (:key:cert:ca_cert optional; no spaces; IPv6 addresses
                        must be in square [] brackets)
  --run_system_tests    runs web2py tests

Please note:

• The option -W, used to install a Windows service, has been removed. Please see nssm in Chapter 13.
• Profiler output can be analyzed using runsnakerun tool.

Lower-case options are used to configure the web server. The -L option tells web2py to read configuration options from a file, while -S, -P and -M options start an interactive Python shell. The -T option finds and runs controller doctests in a web2py execution environment. For example, the following example runs doctests from all controllers in the “welcome” application:

python web2py.py -vT welcome