python script won't run from command line but will when preceded by 'python'

Question

I have written a script that I need to run twice a day. My intention was to make the script and then run it as a cron job on the necessary schedule.
I wrote the script in the spyder IDE, and it runs flawlessly from there. I can also run it from the terminal by typing python python_daily_update.py.

I have added the #!/usr/bin/python statement to the front of the script and made it executable. When I attempt to run the script from the command line without the 'python' proceeding it, I get a errors as follows:

$ python_daily_update.py
Failed to import the site module
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site.py", line 586, in <module>
    main()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site.py", line 572, in main
    known_paths = addusersitepackages(known_paths)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site.py", line 287, in addusersitepackages
    user_site = getusersitepackages()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site.py", line 263, in getusersitepackages
    user_base = getuserbase() # this will also set USER_BASE
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site.py", line 253, in getuserbase
    USER_BASE = get_config_var('userbase')
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/sysconfig.py", line 597, in get_config_var
    return get_config_vars().get(name)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/sysconfig.py", line 540, in get_config_vars
    _init_posix(_CONFIG_VARS)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/sysconfig.py", line 412, in _init_posix
    from _sysconfigdata import build_time_vars
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/_sysconfigdata.py", line 6, in <module>
    from _sysconfigdata_m import *
ImportError: No module named '_sysconfigdata_m'

I'm running linux mint 17.1. I believe there is something wrong with the path but I can't seem to figure out what it is. Any ideas?

Are you using the same Python version within spyder and in the terminal? — Robin Krahl
– Robin Krahl, Commented Jul 4, 2015 at 21:19
I believe the version is the same. This is what I get from the command line when I open up a python instance:python Python 3.4.1 |Anaconda 2.1.0 (64-bit)| (default, Sep 10 2014, 17:10:18) [GCC 4.4.7 20120313 (Red Hat 4.4.7-1)] on linux Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. — t3chap
– t3chap, Commented Jul 4, 2015 at 21:23
I installed anaconda3 into my home directory. Of course python is already installed into mint. — t3chap
– t3chap, Commented Jul 4, 2015 at 21:25

miccke · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-04 21:24:04Z

1

At the command line execute: which python

Verify if the output is equal to which you wrote at the beginning of the script, if not just change it and it will work.

The script must be run like this: ./python_daily_update.py

answered Jul 4, 2015 at 21:24

miccke

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2 Comments

t3chap Over a year ago

Yes. Actually I had the path wrong (I think I had copied something not germane from stackoverflow). After I fixed that, using the "./" made it work. Why is this?

LinkBerest - SO sold our work Over a year ago

In case this is encountered in the future: another thing one should check is that the file is set as an executable using ls -l and then chmod as appropriate.

Padraic Cunningham · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-04 21:45:40Z

1

In linux/unix unless the executable is in your PATH you have to tell it where the file is, so ./python_daily_update.py tells the shell that the executable is in your current directory i.e .

The shebang does not point to your Anaconda install either so you also need to change that.

edited Jul 4, 2015 at 21:45

answered Jul 4, 2015 at 21:39

Padraic Cunningham

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Bill Chapman · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-04 23:38:21Z

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I didn't observe which shell you are running, but the general rule is there will be an rc file that is loaded when the shell is loaded, and you should have a PATH statement in it that includes ./ as one of the search paths for executable files encountered in the scripts or programs found by the shell. If you don't have it, you will get the behavior you described.

answered Jul 4, 2015 at 23:38

Bill Chapman

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