Running a python script under Linux

[Cameron Simpson]

On 14Dec2012 02:45, Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> wrote:
| I understand this is not exactly a Python question, but it may be of 
| interest to other Python programmers, so I'm asking it here instead of a 
| more generic Linux group.
| 
| I have a Centos system which uses Python 2.4 as the system Python, so I 
| set an alias for my personal use:
| 
| [steve at ando ~]$ which python
| alias python='python2.7'
|         /usr/local/bin/python2.7
| 
| 
| When I call "python some_script.py" from the command line, it runs under 
| Python 2.7 as I expected. So I give the script a hash-bang line:
| 
| #!/usr/bin/env python
| 
| and run the script directly, but instead of getting Python 2.7, it runs 
| under Python 2.4 and gives me system errors.
| 
| When I run env directly, it ignores my alias:
| 
| steve at ando ~]$ /usr/bin/env python -V
| Python 2.4.3
| 
| 
| What am I doing wrong?

You're assuming aliases are exported. They are not. (I've seen ksh
present exportable aliases, but IMO it is a bad idea anyway.)

You're (slightly) better off putting a python symlink in /usr/local/bin, but
that may break arbitrary other things (as, indeed, would your #! incantation
were it effective). Also a bad idea though.

Regarding aliases, I would make a "py27" alias for my personal typing
convenience perhaps, but _not_ try to make the command "python" run
anything but the system default python (24, as you say).

When I need a particular minimum revision of python I use one of my
"py25+", "py26+", "py27+", "py30+" etc wrapper scripts. Code for "py25+"
here:

  https://bitbucket.org/cameron_simpson/css/src/tip/bin/py25+

This has the advantages of not conflicting with a system name like
"python" and also is usable with your #! incantation, which requires an
executable file after "env".

Cheers,
-- 

Carpe Datum     - John Sloan <jsloan at ncar.ucar.edu>