run command as other while loading environment variables of user

Question

I am trying to run a script as another user, with the user's .bashrc properly loaded (it is a python script and it relies on $PYTHONPATH being properly set).

I tried everything I found for example here, but the best I could coax out of the system was an empty $PYTHONPATH (which is better than my original, where it actually used my $PYTHONPATH).

The usecase is that I'm teaching students about shebangs and paths and whatnot, and I wanted an automated way of checking whether their script are ok or not. I can check them by dropping into their envs with sudo su <username>, but that is very tedious.

How can I execute a script as another user, with their environment loaded the same as if I used sudo su <username> and then ran it myself?

Michael D. · Answer 1 · 2020-11-04T18:14:23.683

0

I think that's what python virtual environments are good for.
Creating isolated and portable environments for each single python project.
No PYTHONPATH needed. You could put all projects to a share for all users and switch between projects envs.
If using version control just clone a project to your own environment and go from there. You can find many howtos in the web.

Otherwise sudo su <username> -c python /somepath/somescript.py should at least run somescript in a oneliner.

UPDATE:
add the -l switch. Check the env with

sudo su -l foo -c printenv

Add Pythonpath like this to /home/foo/.bashrc
export PYTHONPATH=/banana

the oneliner starting the script is
sudo su -l <username> -c python /somepath/somescript.py

edited Nov 04 '20 at 18:14

answered Nov 03 '20 at 23:21

Michael D.

2,830

Unfortunately, your oneliner will not load environment variables :( – fbence Nov 04 '20 at 11:40
updated my answer – Michael D. Nov 04 '20 at 18:14
Unfortunately, that does not work either. Actually, if I -c "echo $PYTHONPATH" I see my own PYTHONPATH not 's. – fbence Nov 06 '20 at 09:36
is the env var exported? check sudo su -l <username> -c printenv – Michael D. Nov 06 '20 at 13:27
Sorry about the slow response. Yes it does, HOME and USER are e.g. set, but no export in .bashrc is showing up. – fbence Nov 09 '20 at 18:41
Ah, but if I set something in .profile it does get set. I think I might be confused on what gets loaded when. – fbence Nov 09 '20 at 18:43
But if I log in with sudo su <username> .profile is not loaded, but .bashrc is. – fbence Nov 09 '20 at 18:45
see https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/38175/difference-between-login-shell-and-non-login-shell – Michael D. Nov 10 '20 at 20:50

run command as other while loading environment variables of user

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