ID: 10689
Title: Checkmk Python may be installed with Windows Agent
Component: Checks & agents
Level: 2
Class: New feature
Version: 1.7.0i1
With this release Checkmk monitoring software has got a possibility
to install and to use Python-3 together with the Windows Agent.
It is now possible to develop agent plugins on Windows using Python.
It is now also possible to build real cross-platform plugins (like e.g.
mk_logwatch)
The Checkmk Python can be installed either automatically(the default),
if any of deployed plugins need it, or manually, if a user of the Checkmk
software needs Python-3 functionality on the host.
At the moment the Checkmk Python has version 3.8.1 and will be deployed
in the directory <tt>%ProgramData%\checkmk\agent\modules\python-3.8</tt>.
The Python will be updated in the future versions together with the agent.
We also ship a collection of useful Python modules, at the moment pyyaml
and colorama.
Also it is possible to install arbitrary Python modules using Checkmk
Python's pip.
By default the Checkmk Python will be used as interpreter for all
plugins with extension .py. It is possible to change this behaviour
with WATO and .py scripts will be interpreted using Windows system
Python.
All plugins with extension .checkmk.py will be interpreted with Checkmk
Python if Checkmk Python is installed.
Important: Checkmk Python doesn't interfere with Windows Operation
System (registry, installer, paths, etc) and may be removed at any
moment. It means two important consequences:
1. The Windows Control Panel doesn't have a dedicated entry for Python.
It is installed as a component of the Checkmk Windows Agent.
2. Checkmk Python isn't added to the Windows PATH environment variable.