python - How to open a file with the standard application?

Question

My application prints a PDF to a temporary file. How can I open that file with the default application in Python?

I need a solution for

• Windows
• Linux (Ubuntu with Xfce if there's nothing more general.)

Related

• Open document with default application in Python

Answer 1

os.startfile is only available for windows for now, but xdg-open will be available on any unix client running X.

if sys.platform == 'linux2':
    subprocess.call(["xdg-open", file])
else:
    os.startfile(file)