diff --git a/python/install.py b/python/install.py
index e1fa4612b..6128310c0 100644
--- a/python/install.py
+++ b/python/install.py
@@ -1,67 +1,67 @@
-#!/usr/local/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 
 # copy LAMMPS src/liblammps.so and lammps.py to system dirs
 
 instructions = """
 Syntax: python install.py [-h] [libdir] [pydir]
         libdir = target dir for src/liblammps.so, default = /usr/local/lib
         pydir = target dir for lammps.py, default = Python site-packages dir
 """
 
 import sys,os,commands
 
 if (len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == "-h") or len(sys.argv) > 3:
   print instructions
   sys.exit()
 
 if len(sys.argv) >= 2: libdir = sys.argv[1]
 else: libdir = "/usr/local/lib"
 
 if len(sys.argv) == 3: pydir = sys.argv[2]
 else: pydir = ""
 
 # copy C lib to libdir if it exists
 # warn if not in LD_LIBRARY_PATH or LD_LIBRARY_PATH is undefined
 
 if not os.path.isdir(libdir):
   print "ERROR: libdir %s does not exist" % libdir
   sys.exit()
   
 if "LD_LIBRARY_PATH" not in os.environ:
   print "WARNING: LD_LIBRARY_PATH undefined, cannot check libdir %s" % libdir
 else:
   libpaths = os.environ['LD_LIBRARY_PATH'].split(':')
   if libdir not in libpaths:
     print "WARNING: libdir %s not in LD_LIBRARY_PATH" % libdir
 
 str = "cp ../src/liblammps.so %s" % libdir
 print str
 outstr = commands.getoutput(str)
 if len(outstr.strip()): print outstr
 
 # copy lammps.py to pydir if it exists
 # if pydir not specified, install in site-packages via distutils setup()
 
 if pydir:
   if not os.path.isdir(pydir):
     print "ERROR: pydir %s does not exist" % pydir
     sys.exit()
   str = "cp ../python/lammps.py %s" % pydir
   print str
   outstr = commands.getoutput(str)
   if len(outstr.strip()): print outstr
   sys.exit()
   
 print "installing lammps.py in Python site-packages dir"
 
 os.chdir('../python')                # in case invoked via make in src dir
 
 from distutils.core import setup
 sys.argv = ["setup.py","install"]    # as if had run "python setup.py install"
 setup(name = "lammps",
       version = "15Aug12",
       author = "Steve Plimpton",
       author_email = "sjplimp@sandia.gov",
       url = "http://lammps.sandia.gov",
       description = "LAMMPS molecular dynamics library",
       py_modules = ["lammps"])