#!/usr/bin/env python vs. #!/usr/bin/python

[Grant Edwards]

On 2008-05-02, Jeroen Ruigrok van der Werven <asmodai at in-nomine.org> wrote:
> -On [20080502 07:51], Ben Finney (bignose+hates-spam at benfinney.id.au) wrote:
>>To my mind, the Python interpreter installed by a package as
>>distributed with the OS *is* OS territory and belongs in /usr/bin/.
>
> That's the difference with a distribution, such as Linux, and full OSes ,
> such as BSDs or commercial Unix variants. They prefer to keep a pristine
> state for the OS vendor files

Python _is_ an OS vendor file in the Linux world.

> versus what the user can opt to install himself,

Traditionally, Python has not been optional.

> hence the /usr/bin - /usr/local/bin separation. Same for sbin,
> lib, and so on. It effectively guarantees you can nuke
> /usr/local without ill consequences for your OS.

That's the point. You _couldn't_ nuke Python and have your
system keep running.  That's why it was in /usr/bin.

-- 
Grant