Re: [Gimp-developer] How to set the python path for GIMP plug-ins when bundling into an AppImage

[Carmelo DrRaw <aferrero1975 gmail com>]

> On 21 May 2017, at 21:56, Partha Bagchi <partha1b gmail com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On Sun, May 21, 2017 at 2:44 PM, Carmelo DrRaw <aferrero1975 gmail com <mailto:aferrero1975 gmail com>> 
> wrote:
> Hi!
>
> I am facing a problem when trying to build a GIMP AppImage that bundles python to allow running the 
> python-based plug-ins.
>
> As far as I understand, GIMP takes the python executable specified in
>
>     PREFIX/lib/gimp/2.0/interpreters/pygimp.interp
>
> where the executable path has to be specified with an absolute way (otherwise GIMP throws an error “Bad 
> binary format string in interpreter file …”).
>
> However, in the AppImage case the absolute path into which the package is extracted is random, and is only 
> known after the AppImage has ben actually started. Moreover, configuration files inside the AppImage bundle 
> cannot be modified because they are read-only.
>
> Hence my question: is there a way to dynamically specify the path to the python interpreter? In such 
> situations one would typically use environment variables, but there seems to be no way in this case…
>
>
> Thanks a lot in advance!
>
> A,
>
> Not wanting to starting some Linux "wars" :), I think of AppImage as Linux's acknowledgement to Mac OSX 
> Apps. 

Kind of yes, and kind of “why not?" ;-)

> So in that vein, include a launcher in your AppImage which mounts your support libs is a specific location 
> (possibly /tmp) and then point the python interpreter to something like /tmp/python/python or something 
> similar. 

This is what is already done by the AppImage, except that the mound directory is generated with a temporary 
name, different each time. This is not something under my control, and what is causing trouble in this 
specific case...

> Maybe that will work?