Setting UNIX environment with a Python script

[Cameron Hutchison]

On Tue, 12 Mar 2002 08:13:05 +1100, Grant Edwards wrote:

> In article <3C8D143A.17963385 at all.com>, Nom de Plume wrote:
> 
>> The only step left is sourcing the ora_env.[name] file from within
>> Python in a way such that the environment of the parent shell is
>> modified.  Anyone have any ideas?  I have tried:
> 
> It is not possible under Unix to modify the environment of your parent
> process.  You can only modify your own environment and then export that
> environment to your children.

What you need to do instead is have your python program print on stdout
the name of the ora_env file to source. Then you invoke your python
script from your shell login script like this (bourne style shell
assumed):

eval "source ora_env.`get_ora_name`"

where get_ora_name is your python script.

If you're not familiar with shell scripting, look up command substitution
or backquote substitution in the manpage for how this works.

[To be honest, I can't remember if 'source' is bourne shell or a
bash-ism. You can always use the . command, but that doesn't look
as clear and may have been harder to explain]