Python Script unable to import installed modules when called as a subprocess

Question

I've two Python scripts as given below

inner.py

#!/usr/bin/python  
import os  
import datetime  
# <---- Some Code--->

main.py

#!/usr/bin/python  
import os  
import datetime  

# <---- Some Code--->  
subprocess.call(["/usr/bin/python",inner.py])

The problem is when the inner.py script is called from the main.py script it doesn't import any modules. For example it says

ImportError: No module named os

But when the script is executed standalone it works fine. Please help

That should all work just fine; you can also use sys.executable instead of /usr/bin/python to make sure you are using the exact same Python binary. — Martijn Pieters
– Martijn Pieters, Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 22:05
What does import sys do? If that works, what does print sys.path give you? — Martijn Pieters
– Martijn Pieters, Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 22:05
import sys works and the print sys.path gives the following result ['/home/transfer/scripts/common', '/usr/bin/python/lib64/python26.zip', '/usr/bin/python/lib64/python2.6/', '/usr/bin/python/lib64/python2.6/plat-linux2', '/usr/bin/python/lib64/python2.6/lib-tk', '/usr/bin/python/lib64/python2.6/lib-old', '/usr/bin/python/lib64/python2.6/lib-dynload'] — user1345260
– user1345260, Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 22:08
Your import exception makes no sense. Are you 100% certain that os fails to import? Does import subprocess work? Does import urllib work? — Martijn Pieters
– Martijn Pieters, Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 22:11
Yes, all the modules I've mentioned in the inner.py fails except import sys. So far I've import os, import datetime in the inner.py. As per your suggestion I just added import subprocess and even that failed — user1345260
– user1345260, Commented Aug 11, 2013 at 22:16

hfaran · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-11 23:11:13Z

1

The following works perfectly fine for me, and it's modified because some of your code seemed a little incomplete.

inner.py

#!/usr/bin/python
import os
import datetime

print os.getcwd()

main.py

#!/usr/bin/python
import os
import datetime
import subprocess
import sys

# <---- Some Code--->
subprocess.call([sys.executable, "inner.py"])

answered Aug 11, 2013 at 23:11

hfaran

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