How to find out the number of CPUs in python

Question

I want to know the number of CPUs on the local machine in Python. The result should be user/real as output by time(1) when called with an optimally scaling userspace-only program. I'd be interested in any better ways to solve that problem.

Answer 1

import os,re,subprocess
def  determineNumberOfCPUs():
    """ Number of virtual or physical CPUs on this system, i.e.
    user/real as output by time(1) when called with an optimally scaling userspace-only program"""

    # Python 2.6+
    try:
        import multiprocessing
        return multiprocessing.cpu_count()
    except (ImportError,NotImplementedError):
        pass

    # POSIX
    try:
        res = int(os.sysconf('SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN'))

        if res > 0:
            return res
    except (AttributeError,ValueError):
        pass

    # Windows
    try:
        res = int(os.environ['NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS'])

        if res > 0:
            return res
    except (KeyError, ValueError):
        pass

    # jython
    try:
        from java.lang import Runtime
        runtime = Runtime.getRuntime()
        res = runtime.availableProcessors()
        if res > 0:
            return res
    except ImportError:
        pass

    # BSD
    try:
        sysctl = subprocess.Popen(['sysctl', '-n', 'hw.ncpu'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
        scStdout = sysctl.communicate()[0]
        res = int(scStdout)

        if res > 0:
            return res
    except (OSError, ValueError):
        pass

    # Linux
    try:
        res = open('/proc/cpuinfo').read().count('processor\t:')

        if res > 0:
            return res
    except IOError:
        pass

    # Solaris
    try:
        pseudoDevices = os.listdir('/devices/pseudo/')
        expr = re.compile('^cpuid@[0-9]+$')

        res = 0
        for pd in pseudoDevices:
            if expr.match(pd) != None:
                res += 1

        if res > 0:
            return res
    except OSError:
        pass

    # Other UNIXes (heuristic)
    try:
        try:
            dmesg = open('/var/run/dmesg.boot').read()
        except IOError:
            dmesgProcess = subprocess.Popen(['dmesg'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
            dmesg = dmesgProcess.communicate()[0]

        res = 0
        while '\ncpu' + str(res) + ':' in dmesg:
            res += 1

        if res > 0:
            return res
    except OSError:
        pass

    raise Exception('Can not determine number of CPUs on this system')

Answer 2

If you have python2.6 you can simply use

import multiprocessing

multiprocessing.cpu_count()

http://docs.python.org/library/multiprocessing.html#multiprocessing.cpu_count

Answer 3

You can also look how Parallel Python does it.

Answer 4

Can't figure out how to add to the code or reply to the message but here's support for jython that you can tack in before you give up:

# jython
try:
    from java.lang import Runtime
    runtime = Runtime.getRuntime()
    res = runtime.availableProcessors()
    if res > 0:
        return res
except ImportError:
    pass