directly executing a python script in Unix - RESOLVED !

[Marc Laymon]

The dreaded DOS CR is the problem !  I initially wrote the script in a
Windows editor, then moved it to Linux.  I was not aware the CR's
would
make a difference on the #!line, plus I could not even see them.  I
was looking at the file in Emacs, which used to show CR's as ^M.  I
recently upgraded to
a new version of Linux and Emacs apparently no longer shows the ^M,
which I was not aware of until I ran the head command you suggested. 
This command showed that the file did contain the CR's.

Thanks for your help. 

Marc Laymon

Michael Hudson <mwh at python.net> wrote in message news:<uvgdcowgq.fsf at python.net>...
> laymon at crd.ge.com (Marc Laymon) writes:
> 
> > Several people suggested that the script needs to be
> > executable.  However, python is in
> > /usr/bin/python and the script is executable:
> > 
> > (laymon) [23] which python
> > /usr/bin/python
> > (laymon) [24] ls -l retest.py
> > -rwxr-xr-x    1 laymon   omtool       1747 Feb  4 10:55 retest.py*
> > 
> > If the script is not executable, you get a "Permission denied"
> > error, not "Command not found"
> > 
> > (laymon) [25] chmod -x retest.py
> > (laymon) [26] ./retest.py
> > ./retest.py: Permission denied.
> > (laymon) [27] chmod +x retest.py
> > (laymon) [28] ./retest.py
> > ./retest.py: Command not found.
> > (laymon) [29] ls -l retest.py
> > -rwxr-xr-x    1 laymon   omtool       1747 Feb  4 10:55 retest.py*
> > 
> > I can duplicate the error message with a perl script by changing
> > "#!/usr/bin/perl" to "#!/usr/bin/foo", so it seems that for some
> > reason, Unix can't find python, but since /usr/bin is in my path
> > and I am explicitly giving the command "usr/bin/python",
> > I can't figure out why.  Anybody have any other ideas ?
> 
> Have carriage returns snuck into your script?
> 
> try
> 
> $ head -n1 retest.py | cat -v
> 
> if the result is
> 
> #!/usr/bin/python^M
> 
> then that's your problem.
> 
> Cheers,
> M.