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Re: extending PATH on Windows?

From Thorsten Kampe <thorsten@thorstenkampe.de>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: extending PATH on Windows?
Date 2016-02-16 13:19 +0100
Message-ID <mailman.160.1455625190.22075.python-list@python.org> (permalink)
References <n9umo3$9lg$1@news2.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de>

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* Ulli Horlacher (Tue, 16 Feb 2016 08:30:59 +0000 (UTC))
> I need to extend the PATH environment variable on Windows.
> 
> So far, I use:
> 
>    system('setx PATH "%PATH%;'+bindir+'"')
> 
> The problem: In a new process (cmd.exe) PATH contains a lot of double
> elements. As far as I have understood, Windows builds the PATH
> environment variable from a system component and a user component. With
> the setx command from above I have copied the system PATH into the user
> PATH component.
> 
> Is there a better way to extend the PATH environment variable for the user?
> It must be persistent, not only for the current process.

`os.system` should be `subprocess.call` on modern systems (actually 
`subprocess.run` if you have Python 3.5). Since `setx` doesn't seem 
to have unique and add options, you basically have two options:

1. Add the path component yourself into HKEY_CURRENT_USER and make 
sure it's not there already (pure Python).

2. a) use a shell that offers that capability with `set`: 
https://jpsoft.com/help/set.htm (TCC/LE is free)

   b) use a dedicated environment variable editor: 
http://www.rapidee.com/en/command-line

Thorsten

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Thread

extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-16 08:30 +0000
  Re: extending PATH on Windows? Thorsten Kampe <thorsten@thorstenkampe.de> - 2016-02-16 13:19 +0100
    Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-16 12:38 +0000
      Re: extending PATH on Windows? Thorsten Kampe <thorsten@thorstenkampe.de> - 2016-02-16 14:38 +0100
      Re: extending PATH on Windows? Thorsten Kampe <thorsten@thorstenkampe.de> - 2016-02-16 14:43 +0100
        Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-17 17:49 +0000
          Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-17 13:02 -0600
            Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-17 20:29 +0000
              Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-17 15:17 -0600
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-17 22:37 +0000
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-18 16:55 +0000
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-19 12:07 -0600
          Re: extending PATH on Windows? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-02-17 19:53 -0500
            Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-18 16:24 +0000
              Re: extending PATH on Windows? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-02-18 21:57 -0500
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? pyotr filipivich <phamp@mindspring.com> - 2016-02-18 19:39 -0800
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-19 10:42 +0000
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-02-19 21:48 +1100
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-02-19 07:45 -0500
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? Gisle Vanem <gvanem@yahoo.no> - 2016-02-19 15:18 +0100
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? pyotr filipivich <phamp@mindspring.com> - 2016-02-19 09:04 -0800
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-19 12:04 -0600
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-19 12:42 -0600
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-02-19 19:57 -0500
                Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-20 07:31 -0600
          Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-18 06:54 -0600
            Re: extending PATH on Windows? Ulli Horlacher <framstag@rus.uni-stuttgart.de> - 2016-02-18 16:50 +0000
  Re: extending PATH on Windows? eryk sun <eryksun@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 07:17 -0600

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