how to determine Operating System in Use?

[Ian F. Hood]

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

 

[nanjundi]

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

I would do this:
--------------------
if os.name == ''posix':
linuxStuff()
elif os.name == 'nt':
windowsStuff()
elif os.name == 'os2': ...

 

[Paul Watson]

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

The more significant question is "why" do you want to do this? Are you
writing an asset management tool? Do you just want to tell the user
what operating system they are using? The reason may lead to a
different solution.

 

[Ian F. Hood]

I am integrating with an existing cross-platform system that provides
different shell scripts and/or batch files for each environment. Normally
the selection is performed manually but my utility needs to automate this.
To select the correct utility I need to know what platform my code is
running on.

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

The more significant question is "why" do you want to do this? Are you
writing an asset management tool? Do you just want to tell the user
what operating system they are using? The reason may lead to a
different solution.

 

[Ian F. Hood]

excellent, ty

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

I would do this:
--------------------
if os.name == ''posix':
linuxStuff()
elif os.name == 'nt':
windowsStuff()
elif os.name == 'os2': ...

 

[James Cunningham]

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

I would do this:
--------------------
if os.name == ''posix':
linuxStuff()
elif os.name == 'nt':
windowsStuff()
elif os.name == 'os2': ...

Bearing in mind, of course, that Mac will return "posix", too. And
Cygwin might. Erg.

Best,
James

 

[Prateek]

also try:

sys.platform

if sys.platform == "darwin":
macStuff()
elif sys.platform == "win32":
linuxStuff()

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

I would do this:
--------------------
if os.name == ''posix':
linuxStuff()
elif os.name == 'nt':
windowsStuff()
elif os.name == 'os2': ...

Bearing in mind, of course, that Mac will return "posix", too. And
Cygwin might. Erg.

Best,
James

 

[Prateek]

eeps! typo.

if sys.platform == "darwin":
macStuff()
elif sys.platform == "win32":
winStuff()

Not sure what the string is on linux. Just fire up the interpreter and
try it.

Prateek

also try:

sys.platform

if sys.platform == "darwin":
macStuff()
elif sys.platform == "win32":
linuxStuff()

Hi
In typically windows environments I have used:
if 'Windows' in os.environ['OS']...
to prove it, but now I need to properly support different environments.
To do so I must accurately determine what system the python instance is
running on (linux, win, mac, etc).
Is there a best practises way to do this?
TIA
Ian

I would do this:
--------------------
if os.name == ''posix':
linuxStuff()
elif os.name == 'nt':
windowsStuff()
elif os.name == 'os2': ...

Bearing in mind, of course, that Mac will return "posix", too. And
Cygwin might. Erg.

Best,
James