Run python script from anywhere in linux

Last Updated : 03 Nov, 2019

In Linux, there is a way to execute python files from anywhere. This can be done by typing several commands in the terminal.

Prerequisite:

Steps:

At first, open the terminal and go to the home directory. To go the home directory type the following command.
```
cd ~
```
Create a folder and a python script inside that folder. Let the name of the folder be "check" and name of the script be "file1". Type the following command to perform the above operations.
```
mkdir check
cd check
touch file1.py
```

Then type this script in the file1.py

Python3 1==

import os
i = 1

# Write the path where to create the directories
path ="/home / dev / test/"
try:
    while i<5:
        os.mkdir(path+"file"+str(i))
        i+= 1
except OSError:
    print("File creation failed !!")

This script will create 4 directories in the specified path.

Then to find where the python is installed in the system type the below commands. For python 2.7
```
which python
```
For python 3
```
which python3
```

Copy the output and add this in the starting of the script e.g if output is /usr/bin/python3 then write the below command in the starting of the script.

#!/usr/bin/python3

So the python script would look like

Python3 1==

#! usr / bin / python3
import os
i = 1
# Write the path where to create the directories
path ="/home / dev / test/"
try:
    while i<5:
        os.mkdir(path+"file"+str(i))
        i+= 1
except OSError:
    print("File creation failed !!")

Type the following command to get the path of the working directory, starting from the root.
```
pwd
```
Let it be /home/usr/check
Add this path in $PATH variable. For this type in terminal
```
sudo nano .bashrc
```
Before this command make sure that you are in the home directory. Then add this line in the file
```
export PATH=$PATH:/home/dev/check
```
This will get added to the path variable. Then type
```
 source ~/.bashrc
```
Close the terminal and open again. Now we can run the python file directly from anywhere in the terminal by typing the file name
```
file1.py
```

This will create the four directories in the check folder. Now any python file placed in the check directory we can be executed from anywhere in the terminal by typing the file name.