Forum Archive

If you want to download files in Pythonista to your Mac or PC or are maybe just interested in learning a little more about Python's networking modules, you might find this little script useful:

https://gist.github.com/3823483
(use the New from Gist script to import it easily)

It shows how to create a basic HTTP server that runs on your iPad/iPhone and allows you to download/upload files from/to Pythonista, using a regular web browser on a different machine.

Very useful script. I use everyday but I need to change the url name of the Ipad to the IP address. i.e.: http://123.456.1.81:8080

That only works in my home wifi network where I know the IP address but not works in another wifi network.

import socket
ipAddr = socket.gethostbyname(socket.gethostname()) # incorrect!!  See below.

This might work but I don't have time now to check it out.

Thank you ccc. But i have the error:

nodename nor servname provided, or not known

socket.gethostname() and socket.getfqdn() both return the name of the iPad, such as 'Johns-iPad'. This name is not going to be in DNS, which is why you're getting 'nodename ... not known'

The way to turn the name into something that can be looked up is to append '.local' as omz does in his script. This allows the name to be looked up via Bonjour/mdns.

If this isn't working for you, my first thought is to go to the Settings app and look up your IP address under the Wi-Fi section by tapping the arrow next to your current network.

Thanks achorrath for catching my error...

import socket
ipAddr = socket.gethostbyname(socket.gethostname() + '.local') # corrected!
# The .local trick only works on Bonjour/mDNS networks.

With this line
ipAddr = socket.gethostbyname(socket.gethostname() + '.local')

Remains the error:
socket.gaierror: [Errno 8] nodename nor servname provided, or not known

You are not on a mDNS network.

Is the box that you are using a Mac, Linux, or Windoze?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multicast_DNS

http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/ipad/#documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/NetServices/Articles/about.html

Thank you @ccc and @achorrath.

The problem I have is that the name of my iPad that appears in the script can not be recognised by the browser in the Mac. I know the problem is related to the DNS not having the Ipad name.

I would like that the script shows the message with the Ipad Ip address. Of course a circumvent is to go to Settings>Wifi and look up for the IP address. This is that I do everyday.

@ccc: nice collection of useful links.

This should work for printing the IP address:

import socket
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
s.connect(('8.8.8.8',80))
print s.getsockname()[0]
s.close()

(From this answer on StackOverflow)

@omc: endlich....

Now it works.

Thanks

server.serve_forever()

iOS automatically stops background app about 10 minutes.
Is there any way to run pythonista server script "forever" (over 24 hours) in background?

Thanks for asking that question @duffy . It's what ultimately inhibited my using a Pythonista HTTP Server to provide a web page in slide over that acts as a toolbar.

@duffy @MartinPacker
I think this kind of questions has been asked before. check here, or here.

It seems that @ccc has a good solution:

console.set_idle_timer_disabled(flag)

I haven't tried that myself so I'm not sure it will work in that particular case, but give it a shot!

@cook

console.set_idle_timer_disabled(True)

I tried it. But this have effect only in the foreground.

You could try no_doze.py but it is not pretty.

@ccc
I tried no_doze.py in iOS9. but it did not relaunch self. I think iOS changed behavior.

reincarnate(argv)  # Silent notification can relaunch self

You can try this

@brumm That got removed from the released version in app review.

If you want your app to live, it needs to be in the foreground.
I believe we can use
beginBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler
from the main app to run code when we area about to be killed. Also, app.backgroundTimeRemaining does give remaining time, though not sure if this is a guaranteed kill when the timer reaches 0

@JonB It's redundant to call beginBackgroundTaskWithExpirationHandler yourself; Pythonista already does that when you run a script (otherwise, the app would be suspended immediately when in the background), and you don't get more background time by starting multiple background tasks.

I don't have a way of trying this (no Mac), but is it possible by packaging a script with the Xcode template, applying the right settings in the p.list and then loading the app manually on your phone?

I wonder if anyone has tried that...

The script would also need to do something that iOS allows in the background. (Example: Playing a silent MP3 on infinite loop).

@cook it should be.