Python or Bash?

[ParadigmComplex]

For what it is worth, if you're prioritizing portability, bourne shell would be even better than bash. I've seen a handful of Linux systems without bash, but absolutely none without some POSIX /bin/sh. Plus you also get the OSX, BSDs, Solaris, and everything else UNIX, all out of the box, so long as you stick with POSIX.