sh Python library
Hacker ApprovedRanked 5 of 14 Python libraries by recommenders
Python library that makes running external commands from scripts easier. The most common caveat is that it requires an extra dependency.
Python library that makes running external commands from scripts easier. The most common caveat is that it requires an extra dependency.
12 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 10
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 83%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 10 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Makes Python scripting saner
“makes scripting in python with external commands a lot easier”
Comment from 13 Dec 2025 in “Using Python for Scripting” “Honestly, Python with the "sh" module is a lot more sane.”
Comment from 26 Feb 2026 in “What does " 2>&1 " mean?”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Requires an extra dependency
“is nice but it requires a dependency”
Comment from 13 Dec 2025 in “Using Python for Scripting”
Other Python libraries people recommend
The four most recommended other Python libraries, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
See all 14 Python libraries, rankedWhat people said
8 of the 12 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“It's bash or sh as far as I'm concerned.”
“Always assume sh, it's the most portable.”
“Honestly, Python with the "sh" module is a lot more sane.”
“it makes sense to have beginners use sh instead of bash”
“Those are really bad defaults.”
“I love how this import trick shows how hackable Python is”
“is nice but it requires a dependency”
“makes scripting in python with external commands a lot easier”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.