Execute python script

Question

I have been working with Python for a short while and have created some programs, Im just setting up a third Raspberry Pi with Raspian Jessie. On the other two Pis I didn't run into an issue, but on this one I can't get my Python script to execute the same way.

The first line of the file has the shebang:

#!/usr/bin/env python

I git cloned the repo and went to the directory and did:

chmod +x script.py

but when I try to ./script.py it doesnt work. From the Desktop it asks if the file should be executed and when I choose execute in terminal it closes and does not execute. I tried placing script.py in

/usr/local/bin

but that has no effect. If I do:

python script.py

it works fine.

The only difference between the Pis is the first two are headless and this new one has the Pixel desktop environment.

What do you see if you run `/usr/bin/env python -V` in your terminal? — gen_Eric, Feb 10 '17 at 17:51
Well, that means that `env` is correctly locating your `python` executable. — gen_Eric, Feb 10 '17 at 17:54
What exactly does "doesn't work" mean? When you run `./script.py`, nothing happens? Do you not see any output or errors? — gen_Eric, Feb 10 '17 at 17:54
The file may have DOS line-endings and (most) linux shells don't like that. Try `dos2unix script.py`. Resources: http://stackoverflow.com/q/531382 and http://stackoverflow.com/q/19764710 — gen_Eric, Feb 10 '17 at 18:01

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 10 '17 at 18:03

You probably made the file on a Windows PC and it got saved with DOS-style line endings. The linux shell (bash) doesn't like that and gets confused when trying to execute the script file.

Try to convert the file to UNIX line endings:

dos2unix script.py

_{You may need to do apt-get install dos2unix.}

As a tip, you can use an editor/IDE in Windows that supports/saves as UNIX-style line endings to avoid this.

Execute python script

1 Answers1