How to pass arguments to subprocess

Question

I want run a process called client.sh in gnome-terminal via python script and want to pass the arguments as input to execute it. Below is my code

import os
import subprocess
import time
from subprocess import Popen,PIPE
import pexpect
process = subprocess.Popen('sudo gnome-terminal  -x ./client.sh', stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, shell=True)
process.communicate(input = "1")

my intension is to send input as "1" to client.sh process. But with above code my process[client.sh] didn't get any input. How can i send inputs to my sub process process?.

Possible duplicate of [Calling an external command in Python](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/89228/calling-an-external-command-in-python) — handle, Apr 07 '18 at 09:49
If you don't explain what the problem is, there's no reason why this question shouldn't be closed as a duplicate of the 3 thousand other "how do I start a subprocess" questions. Care to be more specific? What's wrong with the code you posted? — Aran-Fey, Apr 07 '18 at 09:50
Possible duplicate of [Understanding Popen.communicate](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16768290/understanding-popen-communicate) — MegaIng, Apr 07 '18 at 09:51
i would like send input to the process. itried process.communicate as explained above . But it didnt work. — M.Girish Babu, Apr 07 '18 at 09:52
What does "it didn't work mean"? Did it throw an error? Did the process not get the input? What happened? — Aran-Fey, Apr 07 '18 at 09:53
also you may want to get hold of program output (get return value of `communicate`) — Jean-François Fabre, Apr 07 '18 at 09:55
Hi Jean, i tried process.communicate(input = b"1\n"). same result again. My process didn't get any input — M.Girish Babu, Apr 07 '18 at 09:58
have you tried with a simpler example? without `sudo`, a script that reads standard input using `read` ? that would be the place to start — Jean-François Fabre, Apr 07 '18 at 10:10
with out sudo i couldn't even open the sub-process in gnome-terminal — M.Girish Babu, Apr 07 '18 at 12:45

matt.LLVW · Answer 1 · 2018-04-07T12:42:42.990

0

You can just call the command with the argument:

process = subprocess.Popen(['sudo gnome-terminal  -x ./client.sh', '1'], stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, shell=False)

Be carefull when using shell=True, see this.

If you need to "emulate" an argument input, use:

process = subprocess.Popen(['sudo gnome-terminal  -x ./client.sh'], stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, shell=False)

and then:

process.stdin.write("1" + "\n")

edited Apr 07 '18 at 12:42

answered Apr 07 '18 at 12:37

matt.LLVW

502
4
14

I tired as you suggest . Getting the below error if i make shell = False process = subprocess.Popen(['sudo gnome-terminal -x ./client.sh','1'], stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, shell=False) File "/root/anaconda2/lib/python2.7/subprocess.py", line 390, in __init__ errread, errwrite) File "/root/anaconda2/lib/python2.7/subprocess.py", line 1025, in _execute_child raise child_exception OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory – M.Girish Babu Apr 07 '18 at 12:43
see my edit. Also, try using the full path, i.e: `/home/foo/client.sh` – matt.LLVW Apr 07 '18 at 12:47

How to pass arguments to subprocess

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