Python cron job: /usr/local/bin: bad interpreter: Permission denied

Question

I have the following crontab set up in a CentOS VPS:

SHELL=/bin/bash
HOME=/

* * * * * /root/ebay/findcheapitems.py

The script runs fine manually using:

python2.7 ebay/findcheapitems.py

It has been run through dos2unix for EOL conversion, has -rwxr-xr-x permissions, and first line of the file has:

#!/usr/local/bin python2.7

However I am getting mail every time the cron job attempts to run, saying:

/bin/bash: /root/ebay/findcheapitems.py: /usr/local/bin: bad interpreter: Permission denied

I've confirmed the location of python2.7 using 'which':

# which python2.7
/usr/local/bin/python2.7

I'm a linux beginner so I'm sure I'm missing something simple!

or see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15351241/hadoop-usr-bin-env-python-no-such-file-or-directory . Good luck. — shellter, Dec 19 '15 at 06:48

falsetru · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-19T06:50:18.537

7

You need to specify the filepath as one path, not as directory and filename:

#!/usr/local/bin/python2.7

Otherwise, the directory path is considered as an executable.

UPDATE As Kevin Guan suggested, you can also use /usr/bin/env instead of specifying the full path of the executable.

#!/usr/bin/env python2.7

edited Dec 19 '15 at 06:50

answered Dec 19 '15 at 06:41

falsetru

1

Also I'd suggest that use `#!/usr/bin/env python2.7` since it can search the `PATH` and run `python2.7`. – Remi Guan Dec 19 '15 at 06:46
@KevinGuan, Thank you for the comment. I updated the answer to include it. – falsetru Dec 19 '15 at 06:50
Why linux could find the exact position even you just give a virtual path /usr/bin/env? – cloudscomputes Oct 09 '19 at 10:29
@cloudscomputes, `/usr/bin/env` is not a virtual path; it's a path to a program called `env`. https://unix.stackexchange.com/q/29608/81068 – falsetru Oct 13 '19 at 11:05
OK,got it,Thanks – cloudscomputes Oct 21 '19 at 03:13

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 19 '15 at 07:25

-1

Use

#!/usr/local/bin/python2.7

instead of #!/usr/local/bin python2.7

answered Dec 19 '15 at 07:25

cola

2 Answers2