Linus Torvalds wrote:

On Mon, 2 May 2005, Bill Davidsen wrote:

quoted

quoted

-#!/usr/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/env python

quoted

Could you explain why this is necessary or desirable? I looked at what 
env does, and I am missing the point of duplicating bash normal 
behaviour regarding definition of per-process environment entries.

It's not about environment.

It's about the fact that many people have things like python in
/usr/local/bin/python, because they compiled it themselves or similar.

Pretty much the only path you can _really_ depend on for #! stuff is 
/bin/sh.

Any system that doesn't have /bin/sh is so fucked up that it's not worth
worrying about. Anything else can be in /bin, /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin
(and sometimes other strange places).

That said, I think the /usr/bin/env trick is stupid too. It may be more 
portable for various Linux distributions, but if you want _true_ 
portability, you use /bin/sh, and you do something like

	#!/bin/sh
	exec perl perlscript.pl "$@"

instead.
		Linus

And that eliminates the need for having /usr/bin/env in the "expected" 
place. I like it.

Wish there was a way to specify "use path" without all this workaround.

-- 
    -bill davidsen (davidsen@tmr.com)
"The secret to procrastination is to put things off until the
  last possible moment - but no longer"  -me