Background

The aim is that this site will capture guidance, support and advice for compiling Python for real-world problems.

This site is being bootstrapped as of Feb 2026.

Python is both popular and slower than compiled languages like C++, Rust, etc. Combine these two points, and you have a green compute problem. Low performance means more energy. More energy means more CO₂.

So, if we can compile Python it's good both for Python users and the environment... And yes, I understand all the objections you're raising right now :-)

CompilePython.com exists to address this.

NB. This page is text currently adapted from my pitch to the SSI

What This Project Is

CompilePython.com is:

• A place for sharing successes and problems experienced with Python compilers and solving them
• A place to share actually working practice when it comes to compiling Python
• A place to document what doesn’t work -- yet!
• A place to describe the working useful subsets of Python that DO compile
• A place for YOUR real-world experience reports

Equally, CompilePython.com is not: a Python compiler, a silver bullet, a marketing site nor finished, or set in stone

This is a collaboration space for knowledge collation.

It aims to connect

• Performance
• Environmental Sustainability
• Real-world engineering
• Community collaboration

The goal is credible, maintainable, lean-first documentation and experience sharing -- one step at a time.

Lightning Camps (2026) (More Detail)

CompilePython.com will host four Lightning Camps in 2026.

These are unconference / open space style events focused on:

• Real-world experience reports
• Compiler tool comparison
• Python language Subset mapping
• Sustainability implications
• What actually works

NOTE these are very much also open to YOUR wider Python communities. Since the focus is compiling real-world Python usage, not the easy parts, this openness is important

Tentative Schedule

• March 2026 - Online Lightning Camp
• (early) July 2026 - Online Lightning Camp
• (early) October 2026 - In-person / Hybrid Lightning Camp
• December 2026 - Online Lightning Camp

Each camp will:

• Be collaborative
• Be practical
• Produce artefacts
• Feed directly into the living guidebook

Tentative Milestones

While no plan survives contact with reality, it's important to have one. Also it helps you with identifying "what stage is this at?" So the high level plan is:

• Q1 2026 - Detailed Planning, infrastructure build out, MVP of infrastructure. -- We Are Here
• Q2 2026 - Content writing, invites, blogs; Promotion at events; MVP of a living guidebook, content starts taking shape.
• Q3 2026 - First wave of "proper" content appears (eg “Getting started with X”, “Compiling to C++, wasm”), Editorial norms agreed, trial run of editorial standards; In-person event focuses on connecting compiler authors, educators, and end-users.
• Q4 2026 - Work with community to finalise longevity plan. Versioned content, scalable delivery, content refinement, open call for experience reports
• Q1 2027 - Executing the longevity plan, eg Long term persistence in Zenodo and citable outputs; website and community governance. Content available through multiple platforms. Common compilable subset of Python identified.

Collaboration Infrastructure

• GitHub: https://GitHub.com/sparkslabs/compilepython
• Google Groups: https://groups.google.com/g/compilepython
• Mailing List:
  • Send a blank email to mailto:compilepython+subscribe@googlegroups.com
  • You will be asked to confirm your email - the simplest way is send a reply “OK” (especially if your mail provider rewrites emails)
• Discussions: https://GitHub.com/sparkslabs/compilepython/discussions

But why? Why This Matters

My belief is that Python isn’t going away, that compiling Python is hard. Knowledge is fragmented and experiences are scattered. If it were easy, everyone would already be doing it. I also firmly believe that we solve hard problems by working together.

CompilePython.com is about making that collaboration visible, credible, and sustainable.

It’s a journey with many possible routes and destinations. It’s why I thought of TripAdvisor as my initial analogy.

Who is actually behind this?

Who am I? I'm Michael Sparks. I've been around the Python community sometimes more involved, sometimes less for around 23 years now. I helped found PyconUK back in the day, helped found Python Northwest (UK) back in the day, and also ran the Kamaelia project for many years.

I am grateful for feedback and advice, and seeking out collaborators. Initially I'm taking advice from Steve Holden, whom I'm sure many in the Python community will recognise, and I'm especially grateful for his realism in this bootstrap phase!

I also created the original Pilot/prototype technology behind the BBC micro:bit which now teaches Python and coding and more across the world. The original prototype was more constrained than the current device, and to operate needed a constrained Python to C++ compiler. I've also tinkered previously with a more generic Python to C++ compiler called Pyxie. So I have a long-standing interest in this area.

In recent months and years, I've become much more aware of the climate cost of software and technology and Green Computing is something that really matters to me. I'm interested in a number of ways of doing this. Green Computing however, includes things like new ways of encouraging sciences to effectively use hardware, performance engineering and again that brings us back to this project.

Like many things in open source, this project is a volunteer effort on top of the day job.

Software Sustainability Institute

To quote the Software Sustainability Institute: The Software Sustainability Institute is the first organisation in the world that was dedicated to improving software in research. Its motto is "Better Software, Better Research". The SSI funds many projects, many collaborations based around that theme.

I proposed this as a project for the Software Sustainability Institute as a fellowship. (The video pitch is on that page) Many of these, are small scale grants specifically to support collaborations, infrastructure and events to bring the communities together to tackle hard and important problems.

I'm extremely grateful for their support. In practical terms, for this project, this helps with running events etc throughout this year - to help get this site bootstrapped.

LICENSE

All content will be shared as open source, specifically:

• Any code on the site will be licensed under an Apache 2 license
• All non-code will be under a Creative Commons CC-BY License

This page is temporary...

NB. this page is temporary as the site gets bootstrapped.

Updated: Wed, 25 Feb 2026