How to execute a system command from a python file

Question

I am using python and trying to execute a system command as below

code.py

import commands
import os

os.system('updatedb')

result:

sh-4.2$ python code.py
updatedb: can not open a temporary file for `/var/lib/mlocate/mlocate.db'

So how to execute all the system commands like above from a python module ?

The error indicates that you do not have permissions to run the updatedb command. — Tuxdude
– Tuxdude, Commented Feb 27, 2013 at 7:00
This has nothing to do with the fact that it was called from Python. Have you tried running updatedb in the command line? You'll almost certainly get the same error. — David Robinson
– David Robinson, Commented Feb 27, 2013 at 7:00
yes actually when i tried it in terminal without entering in to root... its displaying the same error, but when i tried from root executed successfully.... so finally there is no way to get the rsult from python by getting in to root or making this executable ? — Fedrik
– Fedrik, Commented Feb 27, 2013 at 7:04

ckhan · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-27 07:07:40Z

3

This is almost certainly simply a permissions problem. If you can trust your script to run as root:

$ sudo python code.py

answered Feb 27, 2013 at 7:07

ckhan

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2 Comments

Fedrik Over a year ago

Just because i usually run it in linux server to update db and perform some additional operations with help of cron jobs. so in server that too with cron jobs it is not possible to provide a password to run the script

David Robinson Over a year ago

@Fedrik: In that case, it sounds like the issue is getting that cron job to run as root.

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