On Tue, 12 Nov 2019 18:39:38 +0000, Rhodri James wrote: > On 12/11/2019 18:25, Rob Gaddi wrote: >> On 11/12/19 10:06 AM, Wildman wrote: >>> What is the best approach for launching a Python GUI program >>> on a Linux platform. The program will be distributed in .deb >>> format. So the .deb will contain a menu file as well as a >>> .desktop file. The post install script will update the system >>> menu. >>> >>> My question is how should the program be executed? Here are >>> two choices for the "command=" entry in the menu file... >>> >>> command="/path/to/program.py" >>> >>> In this case the hash-bang would have to be included in the >>> program script... #!/usr/bin/env python3 >>> >>> The other choice is this... >>> >>> command="python3 /path/to/program.py" >>> >>> (Of course, the Exec command in the .desktop file should match.) >>> >>> Is one method better than the other or does it acutally matter? >>> >> >> I will note that without the shebang (and setting the execute bit), the >> program is only executable from the GUI menu, not the command prompt. I >> personally start even GUI programs far more often from a prompt. >> >> To follow Linux conventions you'd put the shebang, make the file >> executable, and put the executable somewhere on the PATH. I'd stick to >> those conventions barring a particular reason not to. > > Wildman is talking about launching his program from a menu, so putting > it on the PATH is unnecessary. It may even be a bad idea, depending on > exactly what he's done :-)
Yes, that is correct. My program would be installed using a deb package manager such as apt and an entry placed in the desktop menu to launch the program. Thank you for the reply Rob. > As to the original question, there shouldn't really be much of a > difference. The original idea of the shebang line invoking env, as far > I recall, was that you'd get the "proper" system python3 wherever it had > been put rather than something random and possibly malicious. I guess > that means to go for your first option. Shebang! Yea, that is the correct term. All I could think of was hashbang. I knew that wasn't quite right. Yes, I prefer to envoke env in the shebang line instead of depending on the path. Paths can change especially in a multi-user system but env will always know where to find the executable. Thank you for your input. Shebang is the logical answer with all else being equal. -- <Wildman> GNU/Linux user #557453 "Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms." -Ron Paul -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
