universal-startfile

0.4 verified Fri May 01 auth: no python

A cross-platform replacement for os.startfile (Windows) that works on macOS and Linux by opening files with the default application. Current version 0.4, requires Python 3.9+. Releases are sporadic.

pip install universal-startfile

Common errors

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'universal-startfile' ↓

cause Trying to import with hyphen instead of underscore.

fix

Use from universal_startfile import startfile (underscore).

error PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied ↓

cause The file exists but the user does not have execute permission for xdg-open or similar.

fix

Ensure the file is readable and that xdg-open (or equivalent) is installed and executable.

Warnings

gotcha The package name on PyPI uses hyphen (universal-startfile), but the Python module uses underscore (universal_startfile). Import as `from universal_startfile import startfile`. ↓

fix Use underscore in imports: `from universal_startfile import startfile`.

gotcha On Linux, `startfile` typically calls `xdg-open`. This may fail silently if no default application is configured or if the file type is not associated. ↓

fix Check return value (if any) or verify file associations before calling.

Imports

startfile
```
from universal_startfile import startfile
```
Module name uses underscore, not hyphen.

Quickstart

Opens a file using the OS default program. Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

from universal_startfile import startfile

# Open a file with the default application (cross-platform)
startfile('/path/to/file.pdf')