Bash Script for Setting Up a Python Development Environment for Network Automation

This is a comprehensive Bash script for setting up a Python virtual environment for network automation engineers.

#!/bin/bash

# Ensure the script is run with sudo privileges
if [[ $EUID -ne 0 ]]; then
  echo "This script must be run as root (use sudo)" 
  exit 1
fi

# Detect the current user (for non-root operations)
CURRENT_USER=$(logname)

# Update package lists
echo "Updating package lists..."
apt update

# Install system dependencies
echo "Installing system dependencies..."
apt install -y \
  python3 \
  python3-pip \
  python3-venv \
  python3-dev \
  build-essential \
  libssl-dev \
  libffi-dev \
  libxml2-dev \
  libxslt1-dev \
  zlib1g-dev \
  graphviz \
  libgraphviz-dev \
  pkg-config \
  snmp \
  libsnmp-dev \
  git \
  wget \
  curl

# Create a directory for Python projects
echo "Creating Python projects directory..."
mkdir -p /home/$CURRENT_USER/python-projects/network-automation
cd /home/$CURRENT_USER/python-projects/network-automation

# Create a virtual environment
echo "Creating Python virtual environment..."
python3 -m venv venv

# Activate the virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate

# Upgrade pip and setuptools
echo "Upgrading pip and setuptools..."
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel

# Install network automation libraries
echo "Installing network automation libraries..."
pip install \
  netmiko \
  napalm \
  nornir \
  pyats[full] \
  networkx \
  textfsm \
  python-dotenv \
  pyyaml \
  easysnmp \
  graphviz \
  paramiko \
  jinja2 \
  netaddr \
  scapy \
  ansible \
  requests \
  rich \
  tabulate \
  pandas \
  pytest \
  black \
  pylint \
  mypy

# Additional useful libraries for network engineers
echo "Installing additional useful libraries..."
pip install \
  ipython \
  ipdb \
  openpyxl \
  xlrd \
  cryptography \
  netmiko \
  nornir-netmiko \
  nornir-utils

# Create a requirements.txt file
echo "Creating requirements.txt file..."
pip freeze > requirements.txt

# Set up Git configuration (optional)
echo "Configuring Git..."
git config --global user.name "Mohamed Alaa"
git config --global user.email "mohammed.3laa@gmail.com"

# Deactivate virtual environment
deactivate

# Set proper permissions
chown -R $CURRENT_USER:$CURRENT_USER /home/$CURRENT_USER/python-projects

# Create a startup script to activate the venv
echo "Creating venv activation script..."
cat << EOF > /home/$CURRENT_USER/.network-automation-venv.sh
#!/bin/bash
source /home/$CURRENT_USER/python-projects/network-automation/venv/bin/activate
EOF
chmod +x /home/$CURRENT_USER/.network-automation-venv.sh

# Optionally add to .bashrc
echo "Adding venv activation to .bashrc..."
echo '# Activate Network Automation Python venv' >> /home/$CURRENT_USER/.bashrc
echo '[ -f ~/.network-automation-venv.sh ] && source ~/.network-automation-venv.sh' >> /home/$CURRENT_USER/.bashrc

# Final instructions
echo "Python Network Automation Environment Setup Complete!"
echo "Virtual Environment Location: /home/$CURRENT_USER/python-projects/network-automation/venv"
echo "To activate: source ~/python-projects/network-automation/venv/bin/activate"

Here’s a breakdown of what the script does:

1. Checks for sudo privileges
2. Installs system-level dependencies
3. Creates a dedicated directory for Python projects
4. Sets up a Python virtual environment
5. Installs a comprehensive set of network automation libraries:
   • Core network automation libraries: Netmiko, NAPALM, Nornir, pyATS
   • Data manipulation: NetworkX, TextFSM, PyYAML
   • Utility libraries: python-dotenv, graphviz
   • Additional networking tools: Paramiko, Scapy, Netaddr
   • Development tools: Black, Pylint, Pytest
   • Extras: Pandas, Rich, Tabulate

Key features:

• Creates a virtual environment in ~/python-projects/network-automation/venv
• Generates a requirements.txt file
• Adds a startup script to automatically activate the venv
• Sets up basic Git configuration

To use the script:

1. Save it as network-automation-setup.sh
2. Make it executable: chmod +x network-automation-setup.sh
3. Run with sudo: sudo ./network-automation-setup.sh

Post-installation:

• Restart your terminal or run source ~/.bashrc
• The virtual environment will automatically activate when you open a new terminal