double click game_over.py

**Buffalo Soldier** · January 13th, 2005

I'm new to programming. Bought a book "Python Programming For Absolute Beginner" by Michael Dawson.

One example he gave in the book is a simple program:

Code:

print "Game Over"
raw_input("\n\nPress the enter key to exit.")

and I save it as game_over.py on my desktop.

Problem is, on my windows XP I can double click the file and the program will run (sort of a DOS prompt windows pops up). But on my Ubuntu desktop double clicking it will open the file in Gedit.

What do I have to do to be able to run the file by double clicking? Any help for a linux & python newbie like me?

**gheorghe_pop** · January 13th, 2005

it's very simple

you should set your python script as executable.
How to do that:
right click on the file and on the permision tab check 'execute' for all.
That's it!

**Buffalo Soldier** · January 13th, 2005

Thanx gheorghe. Feel like id!@t for not thinking of that first before posting.

Anyway, your suggestion works. But now the problem is the window pop-up and then dissappear very quickly. It did not wait for me to press the ENTER key.

**Buffalo Soldier** · January 13th, 2005

Found the solution to my problem. I found out that I need to add "#!/usr/bin/python" to the script.

Code:

#!/usr/bin/python
print "Game Over"
raw_input("\n\nPress the enter key to exit.")

And if I want to keep the window terminal open after pressing ENTER, I just go to the terminal window settings.

Edit -> Current Profile -> Title and Command -> When command exits: Hold the terminal open

**DirtDawg** · January 13th, 2005

Bufallo Soldier,

Hey, I too am fairly new to Python and trying to figure it out one step at a time. How's that book treating you? Is it any good and what kind of price tag came with it?

**Buffalo Soldier** · January 14th, 2005

DirtDawg,

For someone who has experience in Python or any other programming languages may find the book too simple. It's definitely not something an experienced programmer would buy for as a reference book.

But for a beginner/newbie I think the book is perfect. I'll quote something from an introduction paragraph which I find very true about the lessons throught the book.

"The goal of this book is to teach you the Python programming language, learning to program the same way I did: by creating simple games. There's something more exciting about learning to program by writing software that's fun."

The price of the book is (in Ringgit Malaysia) RM96. I guess that's about US Dollar 25.