call a python script from a different path and change path

Question

I have a python script: my_script.py that I want to call from another script main.py in a different directory.

I am doing this like so:

/home/path/to/my/main/script/main.py

import subprocess

def call_script():
    path_to_python = '/home/path/to/another/script/my_script.py'
    subprocess.call(["python", path_to_python])

/home/path/to/another/script/my_script.py

do_some_work('log_files/logs.log')

I get the following error:

File "/usr/lib/python3.5/logging/__init__.py", line 1037, in _open
return open(self.baseFilename, self.mode, encoding=self.encoding)
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/home/path/to/my/main/script/log_files/logs.log'

I see that the script getting called is using the path from the original scripts location as its base path.
How can I get the my_script.py to use its own path? I do not want to open a new shell.

rdas · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-02 17:06:31Z

1

Do an os.chdir() inside your my_script.py

CWD (the current working directory) in inherited from the parent process. So, since you are running your script from the location of the main script, the CWD for your child process is still set to /path/to/main.py

If you do a os.chdir('/path/to/my_script.py') your CWD is changed to the directory of my_script.py.

Or, equivalently, you can use an absolute path to the log file in your script as well.

answered May 2, 2019 at 17:06

rdas

21.4k6 gold badges39 silver badges48 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

5 Comments

Harry Boy Over a year ago

Is there a way to pass this in as a paramater when I call subprocess.call() ? as my_script.py is called from other scripts also (From within its same directory)

rdas Over a year ago

Since you know the absolute path to your script in main, you can pass that to your script itself. Then do some path manipulation to get the basepath.

Harry Boy Over a year ago

I passed in cwd='/home/path/to/another/script/' to subprocess.call and now my other script executes correctly.

Harry Boy Over a year ago

I see that the shell now changes and stays at the directory I passed in as 'cwd'. Is there a way I can spawn the other script as a new stand alone process?

rdas Over a year ago

Not sure I understand, the cwd should only change for the Subprocess. Is that not happening?

Lucas Kaniak · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-02 17:21:23Z

1

use the cwd function parameter:

path_to_python = '/home/path/to/another/script/my_script.py'
subprocess.call("python", cwd=path_to_python)

more info on the docs.

answered May 2, 2019 at 17:21

Lucas Kaniak

689 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

call a python script from a different path and change path

2 Answers 2

5 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

5 Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related