Python not working in the command line of git bash

Question

Temporary solution

Just enter this in your git shell on windows - > alias python='winpty python.exe', that is all and you are going to have alias to the python executable. This alias will be valid for the duration of the shell session.

winpty is a Windows software package providing an interface similar to a Unix pty-master for communicating with Windows console programs.

Permanent solution

Add the command to your .bashrc in the users home directory.

Using CLI

This can be accomplished from git bash like so:

echo "alias python='winpty python.exe'" >> ~/.bashrc

which will create .bashrc in the current users home directory if the file doesn't exist or append the alias to the end of .bashrc if it does.

Using a text editor

Alternatively, you could first create a .bashrc. Depending on your file manager, this may be easier to accomplish in git bash like so:

cd ~
touch .bashrc

At which point you can open .bashrc in your prefered text editor and add it there.

To apply the change, either use the command source .bashrc or restart the shell.

I don't see next option in a list of answers, but I can get interactive prompt with "-i" key:

$ python -i
Python 3.5.2 (v3.5.2:4def2a2901a5, Jun 25 2016, 22:18:55)
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 

This is a known bug in MSys2, which provides the terminal used by Git Bash. You can work around it by running a Python build without ncurses support, or by using WinPTY, used as follows:

To run a Windows console program in mintty or Cygwin sshd, prepend console.exe to the command-line:

$ build/console.exe c:/Python27/python.exe
Python 2.7.2 (default, Jun 12 2011, 15:08:59) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 10 + 20
30
>>> exit()

The prebuilt binaries for msys are likely to work with Git Bash. (Do check whether there's a newer version if significant time has passed since this answer was posted!).

---

As of Git for Windows 2.7.1, also try using winpty c:Python27/python.exe; WinPTY may be included out-of-the-box.

I am windows 10 user and I have installed GIT in my system by just accepting the defaults.

After reading the above answers, I got 2 solutions for my own and these 2 solutions perfectly works on GIT bash and facilitates me to execute Python statements on GIT bash.

I am attaching 3 images of my GIT bash terminal. 1st with problem and the latter 2 as solutions.

PROBLEM - Cursor is just waiting after hitting python command

SOLUTION 1

Execute winpty <path-to-python-installation-dir>/python.exe on GIT bash terminal.

Note: Do not use C:\Users\Admin like path style in GIT bash, instead use /C/Users/Admin.

In my case, I executed winpty /C/Users/SJV/Anaconda2/python.exe command on GIT bash

Or if you do not know your username then execute winpty /C/Users/$USERNAME/Anaconda2/python.exe

SOLUTION 2

Just type python -i and that is it.

Thanks.

Try python -i instead of python, it's a cursor thing.

Git Bash Workaround- Launch Python 2 & Python 3 with aliases

HI. This is (for me) the best solution to run both Python (Python 2.7 and Python 3.x) directly from Git Bash on Win 10 => adding aliases into the aliases file that Git Bash uses for.

Git Bash aliases file is aliases.sh. It is located in:

C:\path where you installed Git\etc\profile.d\aliases.sh

1) Open (with a text editor like Atom or other) the aliases.sh

for ex: in my case the file is in C:\Software\Develop\Git\etc\profile.d\aliases.sh

2) Add your alias for Python

In my case the python.exe are installed in:

C:\Networking\Network Automation\Python 2.7\python.exe
C:\Networking\Network Automation\Python 3.7\python.exe

So you must create 2 aliases, one for Python 2 (I named python2) and the other for Python 3 (I named just python) Git Bash uses linux file structure so you need to change the "\" for "/" and if you have a path like my example Network Automation you put it with " "

"Network Automation", for ex.

winpty is the magic command that will call the executable.

So add these lines at the beginning of aliases.sh

alias python2='winpty C/Networking/"Network Automation"/"Python 2.7"/python.exe'
alias python='winpty C/Networking/"Network Automation"/"Python 3.7"/python.exe'

3) Add or Modify other aliases (if you want)

I modified also the ll alias to show all the files and in a human readable list:

alias ll='ls -lah'

---

4) Save the aliases.sh file

---

5) OK!!! close and relaunch your Git Bash

Now, permanently you could launch both Python directly from Git shell just writting

$ python -> launch Python 3

$ python2 -> launch Python 2

$ ll -> enters a ls -lah to quickly show your detailed file list

Cheers, Harry

In addition to the answer of @Charles-Duffy, you can use winpty directly without installing/downloading anything extra. Just run winpty c:/Python27/python.exe. The utility winpty.exe can be found at Git\usr\bin. I'm using Git for Windows v2.7.1

The prebuilt binaries from @Charles-Duffy is version 0.1.1(according to the file name), while the included one is 0.2.2