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Running Python script on website displays source code

I have a very simple Python script that I want to run though my website. Here is my script:

#!/usr/bin/python
print("This line will be printed.")

Suppose my script is called 'hello.py' and my website is 'mywebsite.com'. My web hosting is provided by BlueHost, and I can access the server through FileZilla. I place 'hello.py' in the public_html directory on the server (which also contains my website html files). Now I try to run the Python script though the browser, so in my web browser I go to 'mywebsite.com/hello.py'. In the web browser, the source code of 'hello.py' is printed. Is there a way to execute the Python script instead?

Solution

  • The following modifications should be made for success:

    (1) Python script slightly modified to the following:

    #!/usr/bin/python
print("Content-Type: text/html")
print

print("This line will be printed.")

    (2) Add the following into the 'IfModule mod_rewrite.c' field of your .htaccess file:

    <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
Options +ExecCGI
AddHandler cgi-script .py
</IfModule>

    Here is the successful output result on my browser, after searching 'mywebsite.com/hello.py':

    Successful execution

    Contrast this to the output result if either instructions (1) or (2) are not followed - the browser simply outputs the Python source code. For instance, violating instruction (2) yields:

    Failed execution

    Note that the BlueHost Python or CGI guides do not provide this information. My solution was attained after a series of guess-and-checks, and there might be a more proper way of doing this.