Do NOT terminate python subprocess when script ends

Question

I've seen a ton of questions for the opposite of this which I find odd because I can't keep my subprocess from closing but is there a way to call subprocess.Popen and make sure that it's process stays running after the calling python script exits?

My code is as follows:

dname = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
script = '{}/visualizerUI.py'.format(dname)
self.proc = subprocess.Popen(['python', script, str(width), str(height), str(pixelSize)], stdout=subprocess.PIPE)

This opens the process just fine, but when I close out of my script (either because it completes or with Ctrl+C) it also closes the visualizerUI.py subprocess, but I want it to stay open. Or at least have the option.

What am I missing?

Does [this answer](http://stackoverflow.com/a/13256908/2073595) work for you? — dano, Aug 04 '14 at 21:18

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 04 '14 at 21:14

2

Remove stdout=subprocess.PIPE and add shell=True so that it gets spawned in a subshell that can be detached.

answered Aug 04 '14 at 21:14

synthesizerpatel

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If I add shell=True it doesn't work on Mac. And it does the samething without the stdout part. – Adam Haile Aug 04 '14 at 21:15
By doesn't work on Mac I mean that the window doesn't come up (visualizerUI.py runs a Tkinter app) – Adam Haile Aug 04 '14 at 21:16
It still does the same thing with shell=True – Adam Haile Aug 04 '14 at 21:49

derricw · Answer 2 · 2014-08-04T21:46:02.383

2

Another option would be to use:

import os
os.system("start python %s %s %s %s" % (script, str(width), str(height), str(pixelSize)))

To start your new python script in a new process with a new console.

Edit: just saw that you are working on a Mac, so yeah I doubt this will work for you.

How about:

import os
import platform

operating_system = platform.system().lower()
if "windows" in operating_system:
    exe_string = "start python"
elif "darwin" in operating_system:
    exe_string = "open python"
else:
    exe_string = "python"
os.system("%s %s %s %s %s" % (exe_string, script, str(width),
          str(height), str(pixelSize))))

edited Aug 04 '14 at 21:46

answered Aug 04 '14 at 21:18

derricw

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I'm targeting Mac, Windows AND Linux... so it needs to work everywhere. – Adam Haile Aug 04 '14 at 21:19
apparently on a Mac the equivalent command is "open", but I don't have one nearby to test. – derricw Aug 04 '14 at 21:24

Do NOT terminate python subprocess when script ends

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