in python, get the output of system command as a string

Question

In python I can run some system command using os or subprocess. The problem is that I can't get the output as a string. For example:

>>> tmp = os.system("ls")
file1 file2
>>> tmp
0

I have an older version of subprocess that doesn't have the function check_out, and I would prefer a solution that doesn't require to update that module since my code will run on a server I don't have full admin rights.

This problem seems trivial, yet I couldn't find a trivial solution

you need `popen` PIPE, system probably returns process termination status — Grijesh Chauhan, Oct 08 '13 at 08:45
@GrijeshChauhan I tried it as well but couldn't make it work. Can you show an example? — S4M, Oct 08 '13 at 08:46
@S4M Read: http://docs.python.org/2/library/subprocess.html#popen-constructor — Grijesh Chauhan, Oct 08 '13 at 08:48

Hari Menon · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-08T08:58:14.473

73

Use os.popen():

tmp = os.popen("ls").read()

The newer way (> python 2.6) to do this is to use subprocess:

proc = subprocess.Popen('ls', stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
tmp = proc.stdout.read()

edited Oct 08 '13 at 08:58

answered Oct 08 '13 at 08:47

Hari Menon

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An example using subprocess will be helpful :) – Grijesh Chauhan Oct 08 '13 at 08:53
Added an example with subprocess – Hari Menon Oct 08 '13 at 08:57
tmp = os.popen("ls").read() is fine. I have python 2.6. – S4M Oct 08 '13 at 08:58
@HariShankar Thanks..nice answer! – Grijesh Chauhan Oct 08 '13 at 08:59
why subprocess may be better? – reducing activity Jun 11 '18 at 10:43

in python, get the output of system command as a string

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