Running this code on your machine
This ebook might seem a bit strange. This Github repository contains a bunch of reStructuredText (.rst) files, a bunch of images, some Python files, and some text files---but no HTML files. So how does this become the website that students visit at http://interactivepython.org/runestone/static/StudentCSP/index.html?
What happens is that the ebook is "built" from the files in this repo into a series of HTML webpages. The runestone command line tool does this building for us, so we never have to write any HTML.
After being built, the ebook is "served" at a particular location. The people behind Runestone Interactive have served the ebook on one of their servers which is accessible via the web. When you are testing your changes to the ebook, you will want to serve your ebook locally, which means that you'll serve the website on your own computer. Don't worry, no one else can see it :)
In order to do the building and serving described above, you'll need a tool called runestone. runestone is built in Python, and so to install it, we recommend using pip, the Python Package Installer.
Below are minimalist instructions for installing runestone that assume you are familiar with the command line and already have Python. There is another wiki page with Detailed instructions for installing runestone, which you should check out if you're unfamiliar with the command line or are unsure if you have Python.
###Step 1: Make sure you have pip
You might have pip and not even know it. Run $ pip --version to find out
If something like this happens, you have pip!
MyComputer:~ myname$ pip --version
pip 8.1.1 from /Users/myname/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages (python 2.7)
If something like this happens, you don't have pip.
MyComputer:~ myname$ pip --version
-bash: pip: command not found
If you don't have pip, follow these instructions to install it: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/installing/
###Step 2: Install runestone
On the command line, run pip install runestone
If the installation process pauses and asks a question, press enter to accept the installation.
Before you build and serve the ebook on your machine, you'll need a copy of the ebook. Check out Getting your own fork of the ebook if you're not sure about the best way to do that.
Once you have the ebook files on your computer, you'll need to navigate into that folder in the command line. You want to be inside the root folder of the ebook, where the _sources folder and pavement.py file are.
Then, run
MyComputer:StudentCSP myname$ runestone build
When you see
Done, StudentCSP build successful
Great! The ebook was successfully built. You'll notice that a build folder is now present. This folder contains the generated HTML files.
Next we need to serve the ebook. Run
MyComputer:StudentCSP myname$ runestone serve
You will see
serving at port 8000
and your prompt will not return. That's okay.
Type in localhost:8000 in your web browser, and you should see the ebook!
When you want to build again, type control + C into the terminal window where you ran the serve command. That should stop the serving and return your prompt.
