For more detailed setup instructions, see https://rules-python.readthedocs.io/en/latest/getting-started.html

For the user-facing changelog see here

Using Bzlmod

Add to your MODULE.bazel file:

bazel_dep(name = "rules_python", version = "1.4.0-rc0")

python = use_extension("@rules_python//python/extensions:python.bzl", "python")
python.toolchain(
    python_version = "3.13",
)

pip = use_extension("@rules_python//python/extensions:pip.bzl", "pip")
pip.parse(
    hub_name = "pypi",
    python_version = "3.13",
    requirements_lock = "//:requirements_lock.txt",
)

use_repo(pip, "pypi")

Using WORKSPACE

Paste this snippet into your WORKSPACE file:

load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")

http_archive(
    name = "rules_python",
    sha256 = "43071c4392c0e0c1bc95296b7e94e55328c760de9f805619861d7387fbc69257",
    strip_prefix = "rules_python-1.4.0-rc0",
    url = "https://github.com/bazel-contrib/rules_python/releases/download/1.4.0-rc0/rules_python-1.4.0-rc0.tar.gz",
)

load("@rules_python//python:repositories.bzl", "py_repositories")

py_repositories()

Gazelle plugin

Paste this snippet into your WORKSPACE file:

load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
http_archive(
    name = "rules_python_gazelle_plugin",
    sha256 = "43071c4392c0e0c1bc95296b7e94e55328c760de9f805619861d7387fbc69257",
    strip_prefix = "rules_python-1.4.0-rc0/gazelle",
    url = "https://github.com/bazel-contrib/rules_python/releases/download/1.4.0-rc0/rules_python-1.4.0-rc0.tar.gz",
)

# To compile the rules_python gazelle extension from source,
# we must fetch some third-party go dependencies that it uses.

load("@rules_python_gazelle_plugin//:deps.bzl", _py_gazelle_deps = "gazelle_deps")

_py_gazelle_deps()

What's Changed

• docs: add steps for creating release candidates by @rickeylev in #2687
• fix(toolchain): no chmod on windows when downloading hermetic toolchain by @aignas in #2693
• fix: correctly find runfiles root for symlinks by @lpulley in #2665
• feat: add riscv64 linux support by @kxxt in #2694
• build(deps): bump urllib3 from 2.2.3 to 2.3.0 in /docs by @dependabot in #2698
• build(deps): bump urllib3 from 2.2.3 to 2.3.0 in /tools/publish by @dependabot in #2699
• build(deps): bump babel from 2.16.0 to 2.17.0 in /docs by @dependabot in #2696
• build(deps): bump keyring from 25.4.1 to 25.5.0 in /tools/publish by @dependabot in #2355
• build(deps): bump django from 4.2.17 to 4.2.20 in /examples/bzlmod_build_file_generation by @dependabot in #2689
• fix: Correctly resolve macOS SDK paths by @shs96c in #2478
• chore: remove old versions of Python 3.8 by @aignas in #2700
• feat: uv lock rule instead of genrule by @aignas in #2657
• feat(python.toolchain): support file-based default Python version by @vonschultz in #2588
• fix(pypi): output only necessary target_platforms by @aignas in #2710
• refactor(pypi): implement PEP508 compliant marker evaluation by @aignas in #2692
• fix(docs): CHANGELOG "astral" typo by @lpulley in #2715
• build(deps): bump sphinx-reredirects from 0.1.5 to 0.1.6 in /docs by @dependabot in #2716
• build(deps): bump certifi from 2024.8.30 to 2025.1.31 in /docs by @dependabot in #2718
• build(deps): bump certifi from 2024.8.30 to 2025.1.31 in /tools/publish by @dependabot in #2719
• build(deps): bump pygments from 2.18.0 to 2.19.1 in /docs by @dependabot in #2720
• fix: Fix Python 3.4.x compatibilty with bootstrap (#2709) by @armandomontanez in #2714
• build(deps): bump packaging from 24.1 to 24.2 in /docs by @dependabot in #2721
• chore: remove semantics.bzl by @rickeylev in #2725
• chore: remove defunct comment about py2 compatibility by @rickeylev in #2724
• feat(pypi/parse_requirements): get dists by version when no hash provied by @Yanpei-Wang in #2695
• fix(toolchains): correctly order the toolchains by @aignas in #2735
• fix: allow warn logging to be disabled via RULES_PYTHON_REPO_DEBUG_VERBOSITY by @mattem in #2737
• fix: run check on interpreter in isolated mode by @mattem in #2738
• fix(pypi): correctly fallback to pip for git direct URLs by @aignas in #2732
• fix: support gazelle generation_mode:update_only by @jbedard in #2708
• fix(pypi): mark the extension reproducible by @aignas in #2730
• feat: allow populating binary's venv site-packages with symlinks by @rickeylev in #2617
• docs: fix a few xrefs by @rickeylev in #2740
• fix: treat ignore_root_user_error either ignored or warning by @mattem in #2739
• fix: Ensure temporary .pyc & .pyo files are excluded from the interpreters repository files by @mattem in #2743
• chore: remove unnecessary DEFAULT_BOOTSTRAP_TEMPLATE global by @rickeylev in #2744
• build(deps): bump jinja2 from 3.1.4 to 3.1.6 in /docs by @dependabot in #2750
• build(deps): bump absl-py from 2.1.0 to 2.2.2 in /docs by @dependabot in #2751
• build(deps): bump charset-normalizer from 3.4.0 to 3.4.1 in /docs by @dependabot in #2752
• build(deps): bump charset-normalizer from 3.4.0 to 3.4.1 in /tools/publish by @dependabot in #2753
• build(deps): bump jinja2 from 3.1.4 to 3.1.6 in /examples/pip_parse by @dependabot in #2754
• build(deps): bump cryptography from 43.0.3 to 44.0.1 in /tools/publish by @dependabot in #2756
• feat(toolchains): create toolchains from locally installed python by @rickeylev in #2742
• fix: run python version call in isolated mode by @mattem in #2761
• fix(pypi): fixes to the marker evaluation and utils by @aignas in #2767
• fix: Prevent absolute path creation in uv lock template by @asa in #2769
• fix: Resolve incorrect platform specific dependency by @ewianda in #2766
• fix(rules): make the srcs trully optional by @aignas in #2768
• refactor(pypi): translate wheel METADATA parsing to starlark by @aignas in #2629
• fix: replace string with modern providers in tests by @comius in #2773
• feat(toolchain): Add new make vars for Python interpreter path compliant with --no_legacy_external_runfiles by @FrankPortman in #2772
• fix(packaging): Format METADATA correctly if given empty requires_file by @FrankPortman in #2771
• build(deps): bump typing-extensions from 4.12.2 to 4.13.2 in /docs by @dependabot in #2776
• build(deps): bump urllib3 from 2.3.0 to 2.4.0 in /tools/publish by @dependabot in #2775
• build(deps): bump urllib3 from 2.3.0 to 2.4.0 in /docs by @dependabot in #2774
• refactor(bzlmod): stop using 'repo' attr in whl_library by @aignas in #2779
• perf: lazily load gazelle manifest files by @mattem in #2746
• fix(ci): use ubuntu-latest for mypy action by @aignas in #2784
• doc: better document supported platform tiers by @aignas in #2783
• fix(rules): copy_propagating_kwargs() now also copies target_compatible_with by @dws in #2788
• release: 1.4.0 release prep by @rickeylev in #2789

New Contributors

• @kxxt made their first contribution in #2694
• @Yanpei-Wang made their first contribution in #2695
• @asa made their first contribution in #2769
• @FrankPortman made their first contribution in #2772
• @dws made their first contribution in #2788

Full Changelog: 1.3.0...1.4.0-rc0