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# 2.1. Overview

The LAMMPS distribution includes a `python` directory with the Python code needed to run LAMMPS from Python. The `python/lammps` package contains the “lammps” Python module that wraps the LAMMPS C-library interface. This module makes it is possible to do the following either from a Python script, or interactively from a Python prompt:

- create one or more instances of LAMMPS

- invoke LAMMPS commands or read them from an input script

- run LAMMPS incrementally

- extract LAMMPS results

- and modify internal LAMMPS data structures.

From a Python script you can do this in serial or in parallel. Running Python interactively in parallel does not generally work, unless you have a version of Python that extends Python to enable multiple instances of Python to read what you type.

To do all of this, you must build LAMMPS in “shared” mode and make certain that your Python interpreter can find the `lammps` Python package and the LAMMPS shared library file.

The Python wrapper for LAMMPS uses the ctypes package in Python, which auto-generates the interface code needed between Python and a set of C-style library functions. Ctypes has been part of the standard Python distribution since version 2.5. You can check which version of Python you have by simply typing “python” at a shell prompt. Below is an example output for Python version 3.8.5.

    $ python
    Python 3.8.5 (default, Aug 12 2020, 00:00:00)
    [GCC 10.2.1 20200723 (Red Hat 10.2.1-1)] on linux
    Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
    >>>

Warning

The options described in this section of the manual for using Python with LAMMPS support only Python 3.6 or later. For use with Python 2.x you will need to use an older LAMMPS version like 29 Aug 2024 or older. If you notice Python code in the LAMMPS distribution that is not compatible with Python 3, please contact the LAMMPS developers or submit and issue on GitHub

LAMMPS can work together with Python in two ways. First, Python can wrap LAMMPS through the its library interface, so that a Python script can create one or more instances of LAMMPS and launch one or more simulations. In Python terms, this is referred to as “extending” Python with a LAMMPS module.

Launching LAMMPS via Python

Second, LAMMPS can use the Python interpreter, so that a LAMMPS input script or styles can invoke Python code directly, and pass information back-and-forth between the input script and Python functions you write. This Python code can also call back to LAMMPS to query or change its attributes through the LAMMPS Python module mentioned above. In Python terms, this is called “embedding” Python into LAMMPS. When used in this mode, Python can perform script operations that the simple LAMMPS input script syntax can not.

Calling Python code from LAMMPS