Is it possible to use the python snap api with the new beta release?
Yes. Well, this was at least the intention.
I installed it on Ubuntu, but I cannot find the python scripts folder (only the jar file, no python scripts).
The JAR (snap/modules/*-snap-python.jar) is a SNAP Java plugin which establishes the bridge of SNAP to Python which is called snappy. Because various Python versions (2.7, 3.3, 3.4) are supported, SNAP must be configured w.r.t. a given Python interpreter. Furthermore, the SNAP Python API will not be activated as long as there is no installed plugin that uses it. However, you can force the configuration of the SNAP Python API by using the command-line as described in Where is snappy?.
It is a weird command-line I confess, we’ll try to make it easier later, e.g. using a dedicated configuration tool with or without GUI.