Python Nautilus script

[J. Cliff Dyer]

On Mon, 2008-09-15 at 22:00 +0200, Diez B. Roggisch wrote:
> Michel Leunen schrieb:
> > Diez B. Roggisch a écrit :
> > 
> >> There shouldn't be a difference between a shell-script and a 
> >> python-script. Environment-variables are a unix-process-thing, and 
> >> thus the rules that govern them apply to *all* processes - the shell 
> >> is one of these, there is nothing special to it.
> >>
> >> If the shell-script gets the variable, the python-script will as well.
> > 
> > Yes, that's what I thought too but try this: open a terminal and type
> > 
> > $ echo $HOSTNAME
> > 
> > you will get the name of your computer.
> > Now try this instead:
> > 
> > $ python
> >  >>> import os
> >  >>> os.environ['HOSTNAME']
> > Traceback (most recent call last):
> >   File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
> >   File "/usr/lib/python2.5/UserDict.py", line 22, in __getitem__
> >     raise KeyError(key)
> > KeyError: 'HOSTNAME'
> >  >>>
> 
> Which is the exact right thing to happen if the HOSTNAME is not exported.
> 
> The echo above is executed IN THE CURRENT SHELL environment. If it 
> weren't - why would there be any distinction between local and exported 
> variables at all?
> 
> If you put
> 
> 
> > It appears that's because HOSTNAME is not exported.
> > But in the case of Nautilus script, how to workaround this issue?
> 
> I don't know for sure if the shell has something build-in that makes it 
> spawn shell-subprocesses with a different environment than other processes.
> 
> However, if you want you can do something like this:
> 
> #!/bin/bash
> export VARIABLE_NAME
> python /the/python/script.py
> 
> You create a shell-script that exports the environment first, and then 
> invokes python.
> 
> Diez
> --

Alternatively, export the variable when you create it, in .bashrc or
wherever it is getting created.  That's probably the Right Thing to
Do(tm) in this case.

Cheers,
Cliff