I'm sorry if this is asked and answered elsewhere but I still can't get the hang of searching this forum usefully.

I made a Python script executable (step 1) by CHMODing 755:

>sudo chmod 755 phonepad.py

I attempted to accommodate CL execution with this line:
#! /usr/bin/env python

I'm guessing the path to "env" is not /usr/bin. In any case it didn't work. What's the magic spell?

1) Type "which env" to see what directory it is found in (assuming it is) from your PATH.

2) Type "which python" to be sure it is in your PATH.

3) Type "echo $PATH" to see the definition of PATH variable.

4) Your shebang appears to have an extraneous space. Type it without that first space space:

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What did not work. Did you get an error? or the script did not execute? Are you sure that the script is any good? You have the correct modules installed?
Will the script run with python myscript.py
Are you executing a python2 script with python3? You left a few things out.

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Thanks for contributing.

I'm running python 2.6
"python scriptname.py" works fine

"it didn't work" meant that it did not execute.

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What command did you give to execute the script?

This will probably NOT work

scriptname.py

But this will probably run:

./scriptname.py

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@wvermin:
That was it! I never would have come up with that. Thank you.

1 members found this post helpful.

scriptname.py would work if the directory it is in was added to the PATH variable. The "./" only works if one is sitting in the directory where the script is as that is what "./" is saying to use - the current directory. Specifying the full path to that directory would also work.
e.g. If the file's full directory pathname is /mydir/mysubdir/scriptname.py the following would all work:

-OR-

-OR-

If it is a one off run then doing the first method would be the way to go. If it is something you intend to run all the time the easiest method is to modify the user profile (e.g. .profile, .bashrc, .bash_profile) to include the directory in the PATH being defined.

Thank you @MensaWater. It's not a frequently used app. I could even have been content to use "python scriptname.py" but I wanted to play around. LLL (long live linux).