Can you recommend an Amazon AMI for Python?

Question

I want to remove as much complexity as I can from administering Python in on Amazon EC2 following some truly awful experiences with hosting providers who claim support for Python. I am looking for some guidance on which AMI to choose so that I have a stable and easily managed environment which already included Python and ideally an Apache web server and a database.

I am agnostic to Python version, web server, DB and OS as I am still early enough in my development cycle that I can influence those choices. Cost is not a consideration (within bounds) so Windows will work fine if it means easy administration.

Anyone have any practical experience or recommendations they can share?

Answer 1

If you can get by with using the Amazon provided ones, I'd recommend it. I tend to use ami-84db39ed.

Honestly though, if you plan on leaving this running all the time, you would probably save a bit of money by just going with a VPS. Amazon tends to be cheaper if you are turning the service on and off over time.

Answer 2

Try the Ubuntu EC2 images. Python 2.6 is installed by default. The rest you just apt-get install and optionally create an image when the baseline is the way you want it (or just maintain a script that installs all the pieces and run after you create the base Ubuntu instance).