pox
utilities for filesystem exploration and automated builds
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Pox is a lightweight, dependency-free utility library with active maintenance, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. Install it if you need programmatic filesystem exploration, environment variable handling, or automated discovery of system tools—particularly valuable in build automation and remote system administration scripts.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python >=3.9 and setuptools >=42.
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- Actively maintained as of 2026-06-22, with production-stable status and support for current Python versions (3.9 through 3.14).
License · maintenance · safety
BSD-3-Clause (permissive) — Distributed under BSD-3-Clause, a permissive license allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.
last release 2026-01-19 (207 days) · last repo commit 2026-06-22 · 21 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 18,041,870 downloads/mo, #1,087 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pox
import pox
print(pox.homedir())
print(pox.which('python3.9'))
print(pox.expandvars('${HOME}/dev'))- Whether pox's remote filesystem abstraction works with specific SSH or connection libraries beyond what the description implies.
- Performance characteristics when searching deeply nested filesystems or across many environment variables.
What it is and what it does
Pox is a collection of filesystem and environment utilities that complement Python's built-in `os` and `shutil` modules. It provides Python equivalents of Unix shell commands like `which` and `find`, along with functions to discover user environment details (home directory, login shell, preferred user name) and manipulate environment variables. The package is particularly useful for remote system administration and automated builds, where you need to programmatically discover what tools are installed and where they live on a system.
The package also offers higher-level operations: finding the location of an installed Python package, determining if source code exists on the filesystem, querying package versions, and abstracting commands for remote execution. It has no runtime dependencies and is part of the larger pathos framework for heterogeneous computing, making it a lightweight addition to build scripts and system exploration workflows.
Use it for
- Discover the path to an executable or Python interpreter on a local or remote system without shell invocation.
- Expand environment variables in configuration paths or build scripts programmatically.
- Locate installed Python packages and their source code directories for introspection or manipulation.
- Automate cross-platform build and installation scripts that need to query the user's home directory and shell preferences.
- Abstract filesystem commands for execution across distributed or parallel pipes in heterogeneous computing setups.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Pox is a lightweight, dependency-free utility library with active maintenance, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. Install it if you need programmatic filesystem exploration, environment variable handling, or automated discovery of system tools—particularly valuable in build automation and remote system administration scripts.
Install
pox on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained as of 2026-06-22, with production-stable status and support for current Python versions (3.9 through 3.14).
Requires Python >=3.9 and setuptools >=42.
License in practice
Distributed under BSD-3-Clause, a permissive license allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.
Quickstart
pip install pox
import pox
print(pox.homedir())
print(pox.which('python3.9'))
print(pox.expandvars('${HOME}/dev'))Verify before relying
- Whether pox's remote filesystem abstraction works with specific SSH or connection libraries beyond what the description implies.
- Performance characteristics when searching deeply nested filesystems or across many environment variables.
Package facts
| License | BSD-3-Clause permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 207 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 18,041,870 / month, #1,087 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Scientific/EngineeringTopic :: Software Development |
Evidence: pox-0.3.7-py3-none-any.whl
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