newbie q: /usr/bin/env why?

[Erik Max Francis]

lynx wrote:

> okay, i've noted the tradition of python scripts invoking themselves
> with
> "#!/usr/bin/env python", but i can't figure out why. exactly what good
> thing does the env(1) invocation accomplish that python finds useful?

Using /usr/bin/env prevents you from hardcoding the Python interpreter's
path, which may be different on different systems (e.g.,
/usr/bin/python, /opt/python, /usr/local/bin/python, etc.). 
/usr/bin/env does all that work for you, as ensured to be in a standard
place.

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