Python Tip: Checking to see if your Python installation has support for SSL

I was trying to figure out if my installation of Python was compiled with SSL support and found it to be non-intuitive if you didn't compile Python for yourself.

So, to check if you have SSL support configured with your installation of Python, go to your command prompt and type:

python

and you'll get the Python interactive shell (that will look something like this):

Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Apr 21 2008, 11:12:42) 
[GCC 4.2.3 (Ubuntu 4.2.3-2ubuntu7)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

At the >>> prompt, type import socket:

Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Apr 21 2008, 11:12:42) 
[GCC 4.2.3 (Ubuntu 4.2.3-2ubuntu7)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import socket

Then check for the ssl attribute, by typing hasattr(socket, "ssl") at the >>> prompt and look for a True or False response:

Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Apr 21 2008, 11:12:42) 
[GCC 4.2.3 (Ubuntu 4.2.3-2ubuntu7)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import socket
>>> hasattr(socket, "ssl")
True
>>>

A True response means that SSL is compiled in your Python installation.

Good luck.

If you want some good books on learning to use Python, I highly recommend Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional by Magnus Hetland and Learning Python by Mark Lutz and David Ascher. I am currently using both books to get up to speed on the Python language and I am really enjoying working with both of them.