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🔎 Detect architectures, platforms, shells, terminals, CI systems and agents, grouped by family

29 starsPython

Extra-Platforms, Python library to detect OS, arch, shell, CI, AI

Name: Extra-Platforms, Python library to detect OS, arch, shell, CI, AI
Availability: InStock
Author: kdeldycke

by kdeldycke·Apr 2, 2026·9 points·2 comments

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AI Analysis

●●SolidSolve My ProblemCozy

Zero-dependency Python library replacing removed stdlib functions with comprehensive platform detection.

Strengths

•Zero dependencies ensures no supply chain risk for core infrastructure code.
•Pytest decorators simplify cross-platform testing workflows significantly for maintainers.

Weaknesses

•Niche utility limits audience to Python maintainers and CI engineers.
•Detection logic requires constant maintenance as new platforms emerge slowly.

Post Description

I built Extra Platforms over the past 5 years because I kept writing the same detection boilerplate over and over. And also because Python's original platform.linux_distribution() function has been removed in Python 3.8. Its replacement, Distro, only covers Linux.

It detects six traits (CPU architecture, OS/distribution, shell, terminal, CI, agents), which are grouped into families (BSD, LINUX, UNIX, ...) for convenience.

You can try the library without installing anything:

$ uvx --with extra-platforms python >>> from extra_platforms import current_platform, BSD, is_linux >>> current_platform() Platform(id='macos', name='macOS') >>> current_platform() in BSD True >>> is_linux() False

It also ships Pytest decorators (@skip_linux, @unless_macos) for platform-conditional tests.

The library has zero dependencies and is Apache-2.0 licensed.

I'm interested in collecting edge cases, which you can send me by performing an auto-detection with:

$ uvx extra-platforms