How can I use Python to open "~/.bash_profile"

Question

I want to use Python to edit ~/.bash_profile, but when I run these codes:

f = open('~/.bash_profile', 'rb')

it told me:

IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '~/.bash_profile'

I thought it was because ~/.bash_profile is a system protect file. Is there any method to open this file by using Python?

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams · Accepted Answer · 2014-11-08 15:15:20Z

6

Normally ~ is expanded by the shell, not by the system call. In Python, use os.path.expanduser() to expand paths starting with ~.

answered Nov 8, 2014 at 15:15

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