Now I have read the discussion on Python running shell commands again. My first thought was do the lazy newbie way, using the "os." thing. On second thought, it might save me time to learn the more updated "subprocess", now, rather than learning an outdated "os" first, and then later found it not that good and had to learn another.
17.1.4.3. Replacing os.system()
sts = os.system("mycmd" + " myarg")
# becomes
sts = call("mycmd" + " myarg", shell=True)
.END
17.1.4. Replacing Older Functions with the subprocess Module
In this section, “a becomes b” means that b can be used as a replacement for a.
Note
All “a” functions in this section fail (more or less) silently if the executed program cannot be found; the “b” replacements raise
OSErrorinstead.
In addition, the replacements using check_output() will fail with a CalledProcessError if the requested operation produces a non-zero return code. The output is still available as the output attribute of the raised exception.
In the following examples, we assume that the relevant functions have already been imported from the subprocess module.
17.1.4.1. Replacing /bin/sh shell backquote
output=`mycmd myarg`
# becomes
output = check_output(["mycmd", "myarg"])
17.1.4.2. Replacing shell pipeline
output=`dmesg | grep hda`
# becomes
p1 = Popen(["dmesg"], stdout=PIPE)
p2 = Popen(["grep", "hda"], stdin=p1.stdout, stdout=PIPE)
p1.stdout.close() # Allow p1 to receive a SIGPIPE if p2 exits.
output = p2.communicate()[0]
The p1.stdout.close() call after starting the p2 is important in order for p1 to receive a SIGPIPE if p2 exits before p1.
Alternatively, for trusted input, the shell’s own pipeline support may still be used directly:
output=`dmesg | grep hda`
# becomes
output=check_output("dmesg | grep hda", shell=True)
sts = os.system("mycmd" + " myarg")
# becomes
sts = call("mycmd" + " myarg", shell=True)
Notes:
- Calling the program through the shell is usually not required.
A more realistic example would look like this:
try:
retcode = call("mycmd" + " myarg", shell=True)
if retcode < 0:
print >>sys.stderr, "Child was terminated by signal", -retcode
else:
print >>sys.stderr, "Child returned", retcode
except OSError as e:
print >>sys.stderr, "Execution failed:", e
17.1.4.4. Replacing the os.spawn family
P_NOWAIT example:
pid = os.spawnlp(os.P_NOWAIT, "/bin/mycmd", "mycmd", "myarg")
==>
pid = Popen(["/bin/mycmd", "myarg"]).pid
P_WAIT example:
retcode = os.spawnlp(os.P_WAIT, "/bin/mycmd", "mycmd", "myarg")
==>
retcode = call(["/bin/mycmd", "myarg"])
Vector example:
os.spawnvp(os.P_NOWAIT, path, args)
==>
Popen([path] + args[1:])
Environment example:
os.spawnlpe(os.P_NOWAIT, "/bin/mycmd", "mycmd", "myarg", env)
==>
Popen(["/bin/mycmd", "myarg"], env={"PATH": "/usr/bin"})
pipe = os.popen("cmd", 'r', bufsize)
==>
pipe = Popen("cmd", shell=True, bufsize=bufsize, stdout=PIPE).stdout
pipe = os.popen("cmd", 'w', bufsize)
==>
pipe = Popen("cmd", shell=True, bufsize=bufsize, stdin=PIPE).stdin
(child_stdin, child_stdout) = os.popen2("cmd", mode, bufsize)
==>
p = Popen("cmd", shell=True, bufsize=bufsize,
stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, close_fds=True)
(child_stdin, child_stdout) = (p.stdin, p.stdout)
(child_stdin,
child_stdout,
child_stderr) = os.popen3("cmd", mode, bufsize)
==>
p = Popen("cmd", shell=True, bufsize=bufsize,
stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, close_fds=True)
(child_stdin,
child_stdout,
child_stderr) = (p.stdin, p.stdout, p.stderr)
(child_stdin, child_stdout_and_stderr) = os.popen4("cmd", mode,
bufsize)
==>
p = Popen("cmd", shell=True, bufsize=bufsize,
stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=STDOUT, close_fds=True)
(child_stdin, child_stdout_and_stderr) = (p.stdin, p.stdout)
On Unix, os.popen2, os.popen3 and os.popen4 also accept a sequence as the command to execute, in which case arguments will be passed directly to the program without shell intervention. This usage can be replaced as follows:
(child_stdin, child_stdout) = os.popen2(["/bin/ls", "-l"], mode,
bufsize)
==>
p = Popen(["/bin/ls", "-l"], bufsize=bufsize, stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE)
(child_stdin, child_stdout) = (p.stdin, p.stdout)
Return code handling translates as follows:
pipe = os.popen("cmd", 'w')
...
rc = pipe.close()
if rc is not None and rc >> 8:
print "There were some errors"
==>
process = Popen("cmd", 'w', shell=True, stdin=PIPE)
...
process.stdin.close()
if process.wait() != 0:
print "There were some errors"
17.1.4.6. Replacing functions from the popen2 module
(child_stdout, child_stdin) = popen2.popen2("somestring", bufsize, mode)
==>
p = Popen(["somestring"], shell=True, bufsize=bufsize,
stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, close_fds=True)
(child_stdout, child_stdin) = (p.stdout, p.stdin)
On Unix, popen2 also accepts a sequence as the command to execute, in which case arguments will be passed directly to the program without shell intervention. This usage can be replaced as follows:
(child_stdout, child_stdin) = popen2.popen2(["mycmd", "myarg"], bufsize,
mode)
==>
p = Popen(["mycmd", "myarg"], bufsize=bufsize,
stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, close_fds=True)
(child_stdout, child_stdin) = (p.stdout, p.stdin)
- Popen raises an exception if the execution fails.
- the capturestderr argument is replaced with the stderr argument.
- stdin=PIPE and stdout=PIPE must be specified.
- popen2 closes all file descriptors by default, but you have to specify close_fds=True with Popen.
.END
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