Python scripted inputs run with the wrong version of Python in Splunk 4.1.2

Splunk't bundled version of python is always used for python scripts.

This is like the different between running ./applicationFatalTraps.py vs running python applicationFatalTraps.py. With the first, the kernel decides because of that first !# line, where as with the second, it depends on which python first occurs in your path. And in the case of splunk, their own python is always first. (This may not be 100% technically accurate, but I think it gives you the right idea.)

To use a different python interpreter, simply create small shell script:

Example /foo/bar/scripts/applicationFatalTraps.sh:

 #!/bin/sh
 unset PYTHONPATH
 unset LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 exec /usr/bin/python /foo/bar/scripts/applicationFatalTraps.py

Or, if you need a more platform independent solution, you can use a small python script to launch a different interpreter.

import os, sys
# Remove problematic environmental variables if they exist.
for envvar in ("PYTHONPATH", "LD_LIBRARY_PATH"):
    if envvar in os.environ:
        del os.environ[envvar]

python_executable = "/usr/bin/python"
real_script = "/opt/splunk/etc/apps/myapp/bin/applicationFatalTraps.py"

os.execv(python_executable, [ python_executable, real_script ] + sys.argv[1:])

This was copied from jrodman's post. Since it was so short I figured I'd just copy it here.

Update: Just another thought. What happens if you simply rename ApplicationFatalTraps.py to ApplicationFatalTraps (no extension). It's possible that splunk will, in that case issue an OS level system execution call and therefore let the OS decide which interpreter to run. You might still run into trouble because of some environmental variables, such as $PYTHONPATH... That thought just occurred to me. But I haven't tried, so who knows.