how to source bashrc/bashprofile from python script [duplicate]

Question

I am wondering how to source your bashrc from python. I automate turning scripts into aliases and whatnot. Here is what I see in shell:

In [6]: subprocess.call(['sudo', 'source', '/home/cchilders/.bashrc'])
sudo: source: command not found
Out[6]: 1

In [7]: subprocess.call(['sudo', '.', '/home/cchilders/.bashrc'])
sudo: .: command not found

Thank you

Answer 1

When you use subprocess.call, you're not using a shell - note from: https://docs.python.org/2/library/subprocess.html#subprocess.call

subprocess.call(args, *, stdin=None, stdout=None, stderr=None, shell=False)

the default for subprocess.call is no environment as you're not in a shell. Source is a bash builtin, so there's no program for subprocess to execute. And likely most of the code in your bashrc would be meaningless to call within the context of subprocess.

What you may want to do is provide more detailed information on what you're trying to accomplish by sourcing the bashrc file that can be done in a more pythonic way.