jupyter-positron-server

Run Positron Server inside your JupyterHub environment.

Overview

jupyter-positron-server is a jupyter-server-proxy extension that runs Positron Server within JupyterHub. Students reach the full Positron IDE from their Jupyter environment, with no separate deployment.

This project draws inspiration from jupyter-rsession-proxy, which does the same for RStudio Server. Both packages use the jupyter-server-proxy framework to bring an external web application into the Jupyter ecosystem.

Which setup applies to your version

Positron Server changed how it verifies a license twice, so the setup steps depend on the version you install. Find your version in the table below, then follow the guide in the last column.

Positron Server version How the license is verified What to install Setup guide
2026.09.0 and newer positron-server validates license.lic in its own activation directory jupyter-positron-server Get started
2026.07.0 through 2026.08.2 A Hub service mints a signed, per-session token from a signing key. No license file is read by the session jupyter-positron-server and jupyter-positron-verifier Verifier setup
2026.06.1 and older positron-server validates license.lic in its own activation directory jupyter-positron-server Get started
Important

The signing key is a former way of working, scoped to Positron Server 2026.07.0 through 2026.08.2, and not recommended for a new deployment. See Verifier setup only if you are deploying that exact version range.

Note

The two license file rows differ in one detail. On 2026.06.1 and older, install jupyter-positron-server version 0.0.4. On 2026.09.0 and newer, install version 0.0.5 or newer.

Features

Positron Server provides a data science IDE with no local install and no new infrastructure:

  • Rich Python and R support
  • OpenVSX extension marketplace access
  • Built-in data viewer and variables explorer
  • Integrated debugger, help pane, and version control

Requirements

  • Python 3.9 or newer
  • positron-server installed and available on PATH
  • A Positron license file, and a signing key on 2026.07.0 through 2026.08.2 only
  • At least 2.5 GB of RAM per session. See memory requirements

Get a license

Positron Server is available for educational use only. Free licenses are available for currently enrolled students using Positron for coursework. For the full eligibility terms, review the Positron Education License Rider.

To request a license, send email to academic-licenses@posit.co.