Launching an independent Python program in a cross-platform way (including mac)

[André]

As promised, here's the solution I came up with for launching an
external python script.  The function below has been edited (read
simplified slightly) from the original one used in Crunchy.  Note that
while the original has been tested, the following has not- but it
should provide a good start *if* problems are found with it.

André
====================
def exec_external(path):
    """execute code saved in file found in 'path' in an external
process
    currently works under:
        * Windows NT (tested)
        * GNOME
        * OS X
    This also needs to be tested for KDE
    and implemented some form of linux fallback (xterm?)
    """
    if os.name == 'nt':
        current_dir = os.getcwd()
        target_dir, fname = os.path.split(path)
        os.chdir(target_dir) # change dir so as to deal with paths
that
                             # include spaces
        if console:
            Popen(["cmd.exe", ('/c start python %s'%fname)])
        else:
            Popen(["cmd.exe", ('/c python %s'%fname)])
        os.chdir(current_dir)
    elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
        pth, fn = os.path.split(path)
        activate = 'tell application "Terminal" to activate'
        script = r"cd '\''/Users/andre/CrunchySVN/branches/
andre'\'';python '\''test.py'\'';exit"
        do_script = r'tell application "Terminal" to do script
"%s"'%script
        command =  "osascript -e '%s';osascript -e '%s'"%(activate,
do_script)
        os.popen(command)
    elif os.name == 'posix':
        try:
            os.spawnlp(os.P_NOWAIT, 'gnome-terminal', 'gnome-
terminal',
                                '-x', 'python', '%s'%path)
        except:
            try: # untested
                os.spawnlp(os.P_NOWAIT, 'konsole', 'konsole',
                                '-x', 'python', '%s'%path)
            except:
                raise NotImplementedError
    else:
        raise NotImplementedError