Question

When I want to run my python applications from commandline (under ubuntu) I have to be in the directory where is the source code app.py and run the application with command

python app.py

How can I make it (how is it conventionally done) to run the application from arbitrary directory with the command: app ? Similarly as you type ls, mkdir and other commands?

thank you

Answer 1

Add the directory that the script is in to your path, make it executable, and add a proper shebang line.

In your .bashrc:

PATH=$PATH:/dir/to/the/script

Executable:

chmod +x myscript.py

At the top of the script, add the shebang line:

#!/usr/bin/env python

Then, from anywhere, you can just do:

myscript.py

(Note that you don’t need a .py suffix, it could be called anything, e.g. app if you have a proper shebang line).