Python subprocess timeout?

Question

Is there any argument or options to setup a timeout for Python\'s subprocess.Popen method?

Something like this:

subprocess.Popen([\'..\'], ..., timeout

Answer 1

A python subprocess auto-timeout is not built in, so you're going to have to build your own.

This works for me on Ubuntu 12.10 running python 2.7.3

Put this in a file called test.py

#!/usr/bin/python
import subprocess
import threading

class RunMyCmd(threading.Thread):
    def __init__(self, cmd, timeout):
        threading.Thread.__init__(self)
        self.cmd = cmd 
        self.timeout = timeout

    def run(self):
        self.p = subprocess.Popen(self.cmd)
        self.p.wait()

    def run_the_process(self):
        self.start()
        self.join(self.timeout)

        if self.is_alive():
            self.p.terminate()   #if your process needs a kill -9 to make 
                                 #it go away, use self.p.kill() here instead.

            self.join()

RunMyCmd(["sleep", "20"], 3).run_the_process()

Save it, and run it:

python test.py

The sleep 20 command takes 20 seconds to complete. If it doesn't terminate in 3 seconds (it won't) then the process is terminated.

el@apollo:~$  python test.py 
el@apollo:~$ 

There is three seconds between when the process is run, and it is terminated.