Create a Serverless Slack Bot with AWS Lambda and Python

Introduction

How to Setup a Free AWS Developer Environment

How to Configure EC2 and AWS Workspaces Local Credentials

Configuring Your AWS Environment

Setup a Local Python AWS Lambda Development Environment

Installing Python 3 and Pyenv on MacOS, Windows, and Linux

How to Login to AWS CLI and Configure Default Region

Configuring Your Local Machine

How Our Slack Bot "Dicebot" Will Work

How to Create an AWS S3 Bucket for Lambda Artifacts

How to Code a Lambda Hello World Function with AWS SAM

How to Test AWS Lambda Functions Locally With Docker

The Beginner Guide to AWS Lambda Deployment

Creating Hello-world Lambda

How to Create a Slack Bot

How to Code a Python Dice Rolling Simulator Program

How to Turn Serverless Python Lambda Code Into a Slack Bot

Testing Our Serverless Slack Dicebot with Docker Locally

Cleaning Up Our Serverless Dicebot Deployment

Creating Dicebot Lambda

*Serverless Computing* may sound like a scary topic, but with the rise of AWS Lambda and mature tools supporting it - it's more approachable than ever. In this newline course, we're going to learn what serverless technology is and isn't, and why it belongs in your developer toolbox. We'll see that for certain common projects - like custom chat bot creation - AWS Lambda really shines for it's simplicity, affordability, and ability to integrate with the wider AWS ecosystem. 

Some developers love using serverless tech because it helps them save money, scale quickly, and deliver on reliability goals. While all of those things are possible with Lambda (especially cost savings which are common - but certainly not guaranteed), it's the development agility and reduction of operations overhead that drives my love for the service. It's a relief to be able to get right into the code, without worrying about configuring operating systems, deploying containers, or scaling clusters. Serverless on Lambda gives developers the resources needed to write, deploy, and _maintain_ production-ready software - all without significant operational overhead.

In true newline-fashion, we'll get *rolling* with a practical application right away. RPG players rejoice - we're creating a fully functional, dice-rolling chat bot for Slack! While the example bot will be for Slack, the same idea can be easily adapted to create a bot for Telegram, Discord, or nearly any other chat service with a bot API. 

We will be using Python 3 for this project, but it's worth noting that [AWS Lambda works with other common languages and runtimes](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/lambda-runtimes.html), including NodeJS, Java, ruby, go, and .NET. The basic mechanisms of creating, testing, and deploying your Lambda do not vary significantly based on your runtime choice.

By the end of this course you'll:

* Deploy a Slack Bot that runs on AWS Lambda
* Understand how to keep your AWS account secure
* Be able to deploy custom Lambda functions
* Understand serverless architecture and how it works

In this course we'll build and deploy a Serverless Slack Bot using AWS Lambda and Python. Along the way you'll learn about proper security, how lambda works, and how to deploy your service.

Create a Serverless Slackbot with AWS Lambda and Python

How to deploy a serverless bot into production

We will be using the AWS Lambda runtime for the latest stable version of Python 3 - 

AWS supports a few different runtime environments for python, so if we ever need a particular version, we will need to check that it’s supported by lambda first. A full list of  supported runtime versions is available on the AWS Documentation page for 

Check for already installed python versions

If we are using an operating system like Linux or Mac OS - we may already have some version of python installed on our local development machine. This version of python, commonly referred to as the 

 python, is rarely the latest version that we need for development. We can confirm if we have a 

 python version installed and see what version it is with the command 

 version of python installed is much older than 3.7. In other cases, the command above could fail completely, indicting that python is not installed at all. In cases where older are versions present,

 python directly. Updating it can break certain tools that our operating system needs for essential tasks, including dependency management software

 that will allow us to safely install the latest python version - regardless of whether we have a 

 is an open-source tool used for managing multiple python environments. It allows developers to define which version of python to use on a per-project basis. It's similar to the better-known tool that is commonly used in ruby development - 

 becoming popular, many python developers used 

 is still widely used - but it lacks some crucial features that 

 provides for standardized installation methods.

We will walk through the most common installation scenarios here, but if you encounter issues, consult the full installation instructions for the project: 

https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#installation

Different operating systems have different dependency needs, the latest of which are documented here: 

https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv/wiki/Common-build-problems

Installing pyenv on Mac OS using homebrew

 installed. It's a widely used dependency manager for Mac OS that provides installation packages for many open-source software projects. The commands to install 

 configured then skip down to instructions for 

. The instructions underneath the “install by zip” instructions in the 

The following commands will install the required 

sudo yum -y update
sudo yum -y install git tmux
sudo yum -y install @development zlib-devel bzip2 bzip2-devel readline-devel sqlite \
sqlite-devel openssl-devel xz xz-devel libffi-devel findutils

Once dependencies are installed, use the 

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y make build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev \
libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev wget curl llvm libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev \
xz-utils tk-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev python-openssl git

 helpful for completing the installation, as shown below.

$ curl -L https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv-installer/raw/master/bin/pyenv-installer | bash
...
WARNING: seems you still have not added 'pyenv' to the load path.

# Load pyenv automatically by adding
# the following to ~/.bashrc:

export PATH="/home/user/.pyenv/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"

Copy the last 3 lines from the output into your local clipboard from your terminal, and paste those into bottom of the file at 

Don’t paste from this book directly - the exported 

 variable will be specific to your install.

Use pyenv to install python 3.7 (All Operating Systems)

 can be used to fetch a list of all versions of python which are available to be installed with 

The output from command above can be extremely long though! Since we're using Amazon Linux 2 for examples, we have 

 already installed, which will allow us to filter out everything that isn't 3.7.

$ pyenv install --list | grep 3.7.
  3.7.0
  3.7.1
  3.7.2
  3.7.3
  3.7.4

That's a much more manageable output. In this case, it looks like 

 is the latest release, so we will install that.

We can install install any number of versions of python side-by-side using the 

 command. Each version gets installed into its own local directory, which ensures it will not conflict with our 

 has to compile each new version of python it installs, it can take 5-10 minutes to complete an install this way.

---
title: Installing Python 3 and Pyenv on MacOS, Windows, and Linux
isPublicLesson: true
description: "We will be using the AWS Lambda runtime for the latest stable version of Python 3 - `python3.7`."
---

# Installing Python 3 and Pyenv on MacOS, Windows, and Linux

We will be using the AWS Lambda runtime for the latest stable version of Python 3 - `python3.7`. 

AWS supports a few different runtime environments for python, so if we ever need a particular version, we will need to check that it’s supported by lambda first. A full list of  supported runtime versions is available on the AWS Documentation page for [Lambda Runtimes](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/lambda-runtimes.html).

## Check for already installed python versions

If we are using an operating system like Linux or Mac OS - we may already have some version of python installed on our local development machine. This version of python, commonly referred to as the `system` python, is rarely the latest version that we need for development. We can confirm if we have a `system` python version installed and see what version it is with the command `python --version`, as shown below.

```bash
$ python --version
Python 2.7.6
```

The output above indicates that the `system` version of python installed is much older than 3.7. In other cases, the command above could fail completely, indicting that python is not installed at all. In cases where older are versions present,**it is unsafe to update `system` python directly. Updating it can break certain tools that our operating system needs for essential tasks, including dependency management software**. Fortunately, there is a tool called `pyenv` that will allow us to safely install the latest python version - regardless of whether we have a `system` python version installed or not.

## Install Pyenv

[Pyenv](https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv) is an open-source tool used for managing multiple python environments. It allows developers to define which version of python to use on a per-project basis. It's similar to the better-known tool that is commonly used in ruby development - `rbenv`. Prior to `pyenv` becoming popular, many python developers used `virtualenv` to manage environment versions. `virtualenv` is still widely used - but it lacks some crucial features that `pyenv` provides for standardized installation methods.

We will walk through the most common installation scenarios here, but if you encounter issues, consult the full installation instructions for the project: <https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#installation>

Different operating systems have different dependency needs, the latest of which are documented here: <https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv/wiki/Common-build-problems>

### Installing pyenv on Mac OS using homebrew

Many developers may already have [homebrew](https://brew.sh/) installed. It's a widely used dependency manager for Mac OS that provides installation packages for many open-source software projects. The commands to install `brew` are provided below.

-   Install dependencies for `brew`

    ```shell
    xcode-select --install
    ```
-   Install `brew`

    ```shell
    /usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
    ```
-   Install dependencies pyenv requires

    ```bash
    brew update
    brew install openssl readline sqlite3 xz zlib
    ```
-   **If using Mojave or above**, use this command to install an additional required dependency:

    ```bash
    $ sudo installer -pkg /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/Packages/macOS_SDK_headers_for_macOS_10.14.pkg -target /
    ```
-   Install pyenv

    ```bash
    brew install pyenv
    ```
-   Update the shell to ensure autocomplete for pyenv is functional

    ```bash
    echo -e 'if command -v pyenv 1>/dev/null 2>&1; then\n  eval "$(pyenv init -)"\nfi' >> ~/.bash_profile
    exec "$SHELL"
    ```

### Pyenv on Windows

If using a version of Windows with [Windows Subsystem for Linux](#windows-subsystem) configured then skip down to instructions for [Ubuntu 18.04](#install-pyenv-ubuntu)

 Otherwise - we will need to use a `pyenv` fork, `pyenv-win`. The instructions underneath the “install by zip” instructions in the [pyenv-win wiki](https://github.com/pyenv-win/pyenv-win#installation) provide instructions for `pyenv-win` installation.

### Pyenv on Amazon Linux 2

The following commands will install the required `pyenv` dependencies on Amazon Linux 2

```bash
sudo yum -y update
sudo yum -y install git tmux
sudo yum -y install @development zlib-devel bzip2 bzip2-devel readline-devel sqlite \
sqlite-devel openssl-devel xz xz-devel libffi-devel findutils
```

Once dependencies are installed, use the [pyenv-installer](#pyenv-installer) to finish installation.

### Pyenv on Ubuntu Linux 18.04 {id:install-pyenv-ubuntu}

The following commands will install the required `pyenv` dependencies on Ubuntu Linux 18.04

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y make build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev \
libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev wget curl llvm libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev \
xz-utils tk-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev python-openssl git
```

Once dependencies are installed, use the [pyenv-installer](#pyenv-installer) to finish installation.

### Pyenv Installer (Linux)

Linux users will find the [pyenv-installer](https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv-installer) helpful for completing the installation, as shown below.

```bash
$ curl -L https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv-installer/raw/master/bin/pyenv-installer | bash
...
WARNING: seems you still have not added 'pyenv' to the load path.

# Load pyenv automatically by adding
# the following to ~/.bashrc:

export PATH="/home/user/.pyenv/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"
```

Copy the last 3 lines from the output into your local clipboard from your terminal, and paste those into bottom of the file at `~/.bashrc.` _Don’t paste from this book directly - the exported `PATH` variable will be specific to your install._

Steps to paste the output using `vim`:

-   Open `~/.bashrc` with `vim`

    ```bash
    vim ~/.bashrc
    ```
-   `vim` commands to modify `~/.bashrc`

    ```vim
    GG
    o
    (right-click to paste)
    :wq (enter)
    ```

## Use pyenv to install python 3.7 (All Operating Systems)

The command `pyenv install --list` can be used to fetch a list of all versions of python which are available to be installed with `pyenv`.

The output from command above can be extremely long though! Since we're using Amazon Linux 2 for examples, we have `grep` already installed, which will allow us to filter out everything that isn't 3.7.

We will be using the AWS Lambda runtime for the latest stable version of Python 3 - `python3.7`.

Learn

The newline Guide to Building Your First GraphQL Server with Node and TypeScript

Teach

Amelia Wattenberger

Author of Fullstack D3

Community

Create a Serverless Slackbot with AWS Lambda and Python

Module 1: Introduction

Introduction:

Start Here

Introduction:

Create a Serverless Slack Bot with AWS Lambda and Python

Module 2: Configuring Your AWS Environment

Lesson 1:

How to Setup a Free AWS Developer Environment

Lesson 2:

How to Configure EC2 and AWS Workspaces Local Credentials

Module 3: Configuring Your Local Machine

Lesson 1:

Setup a Local Python AWS Lambda Development Environment

Lesson 2:

Installing Python 3 and Pyenv on MacOS, Windows, and Linux

Lesson 3:

How to Login to AWS CLI and Configure Default Region

Module 4: Creating Hello-world Lambda

Lesson 1:

How Our Slack Bot "Dicebot" Will Work

Lesson 2:

How to Create an AWS S3 Bucket for Lambda Artifacts

Lesson 3:

How to Code a Lambda Hello World Function with AWS SAM

Lesson 4:

How to Test AWS Lambda Functions Locally With Docker

Lesson 5:

The Beginner Guide to AWS Lambda Deployment

Module 5: Creating Dicebot Lambda

Lesson 1:

How to Create a Slack Bot

Lesson 2:

How to Code a Python Dice Rolling Simulator Program

Lesson 3:

How to Turn Serverless Python Lambda Code Into a Slack Bot

Lesson 4:

Testing Our Serverless Slack Dicebot with Docker Locally

Lesson 5:

Cleaning Up Our Serverless Dicebot Deployment

Installing Python 3 and Pyenv on MacOS, Windows, and Linux