Introduction
	Python is a clear, general-purpose programming language that is excellent for scripting and automation and one of the most popular choices for building web applications. Both FreeBSD 15 and Rocky Linux 10 run Python 3. This page covers installing it, writing and running a script, managing packages safely with virtual environments, and serving a Python web application behind Apache.
	Installing Python
	On FreeBSD 15, install the Python 3 package (Python 3.12 as of FreeBSD 15.1): # pkg install python3 $ python3 --version # confirm the version On Rocky Linux 10, Python 3.12 is the system Python and is usually already present; if not, add it along with pip: # dnf install python3 python3-pip $ python3 --version Note the interpreter’s location — it is what goes on the first line of a script: on FreeBSD it is /usr/local/bin/python3, on Rocky Linux /usr/bin/python3. The package installer, pip, comes with it; invoke it as python3 -m pip so you always use the matching version.
	Writing a Script
	A Python script is a plain text file. Start it with a “shebang” naming the interpreter, mark the file executable, and run it: $ cat > hello.py <<'EOS' #!/usr/local/bin/python3 import sys name = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "world" print(f"Hello, {name}!") EOS $ chmod +x hello.py $ ./hello.py Dan Hello, Dan! (On Rocky Linux, change the first line to #!/usr/bin/python3.) You can also run a script without the executable bit by passing it to the interpreter directly: python3 hello.py. Indentation is part of Python’s syntax — keep it consistent (spaces are conventional) or the script will not run.
	Virtual Environments and pip
	Python’s package installer, pip, pulls libraries from the Python Package Index (PyPI). Do not install them into the system Python: both systems mark it “externally managed,” and mixing pip-installed packages with OS packages leads to breakage. Instead create a virtual environment — a private, self-contained Python tree for one project — and install into that: $ python3 -m venv ~/myapp/venv # create the environment $ source ~/myapp/venv/bin/activate # activate it (your prompt now shows "(venv)") (venv) $ pip install flask requests # installs only inside the venv (venv) $ pip freeze > requirements.txt # record the exact versions you used (venv) $ deactivate # leave the environment Everything installed while the environment is active stays inside it, so a system upgrade can’t disturb your project and you never need root. Recreate the same set of packages elsewhere with pip install -r requirements.txt. If you genuinely need a library available system-wide, prefer the OS package (a py312- package on FreeBSD, a python3- package on Rocky Linux) over a system-wide pip install.
	Running a Web Application
	Python web applications — whether built with Flask, Django, or FastAPI — are not run directly by Apache. You run the app under a dedicated application server (gunicorn for WSGI apps like Flask and Django, uvicorn for async/ASGI apps like FastAPI), manage it as a service, and put Apache in front as a reverse proxy: (venv) $ pip install gunicorn (venv) $ gunicorn --bind 127.0.0.1:8000 myapp:app # serve the app on localhost:8000 Then enable Apache’s proxy modules (see Dynamic Modules) and forward to it: <VirtualHost *:80> ServerName app.example.com ProxyPreserveHost On ProxyPass / http://127.0.0.1:8000/ ProxyPassReverse / http://127.0.0.1:8000/ </VirtualHost> This is the same pattern used for Java/Tomcat and for PHP applications: keep the app bound to localhost so Apache — with HTTPS — is the only public face. For a small dynamic page rather than a full application, a Python CGI script is also an option.
	Documentation
	On the server, python3 -m pydoc <name> shows the documentation for any installed module. Online: Python 3 Documentation PyPI — search the package index