[TriLUG] arguments to remove a thin python wrapper

[Kevin Hunter Kesling]

Hello TriLUG,

Given our recent Python go-round, I thought I'd borrow your collective 
knowledge for a minute.

I'm using a project (call it ProjX) that installs itself into a virtual 
environment.  So that users can put the ProjX bin/ directory into their 
path without co-opting the system's python binary[1], ProjX has created 
ProjX_python.  That is, I currently run:

     $ ProjX_python  my_script.py

Unlike what I might have expected, that ProjX_python is a symbolic link, 
ProjX_python is a script that begins:

     #!/path/to/their/virtual/instance/bin/python

On inspection, all ProjX_python merely emulates the python binary by 
opening calling code.InteractiveConsole() if there are no arguments, or 
calling the ProjX python binary through subprocess otherwise.  In other 
words, my command line creates output like this in ps:

1. \_ /bin/bash
2. |  \_ .../ProjX/bin/python .../ProjX/bin/ProjX_python my_script.py
3. |     \_ .../ProjX/bin/python my_script.py

As my_script.py gets "more advanced" I'd like to start handling things 
like Ctrl+C for my users.  Right now, ProjX_python appears to take this 
from me.  I'm also annoyed by the 13.5 MiB wasted by that process, but 
that's no longer a "big deal" in the scheme of things.

Obviously this is a cosmetic thing in that I can just type the full path 
each time, or tell my users to create a symlink in their $HOME/bin/ 
directory, but the design of ProjX_python is one that I have disliked 
for quite awhile.  Unfortunately, this is the first example I've run 
across where it has actually affected me and given me impetus to "see 
what can be done."  I'd like to make a well-reasoned argument for 
changing ProjX_python to be a symbolic link.  Given that this wrapper 
script does literally nothing but open a subprocess, are there other, 
perhaps higher-profile issues that I'm overlooking?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Kevin

[1] i.e., the difference between

     export PATH="$PATH:/path/to/ProjX/bin"   # good
  and
     export PATH="/path/to/ProjX/bin:$PATH"   # bad