Print Output from Os.System in Python

Last Updated : 24 Apr, 2025

In Python, the os.system() function is often used to execute shell commands from within a script. However, capturing and printing the output of these commands can be a bit tricky. This article will guide you through the process of executing a command using os.system() and printing the resulting values.

How to Print Value that Comes from Os.System in Python?

Below is the step-by-step guide of How To Print Value That Comes From Os. System in Python:

Step 1: Import the os Module

Before using the os.system() function, you need to import the os module in your Python script. This module provides a way to interact with the operating system, including executing shell commands.

import os

Step 2: Use os. system() to Execute Command

The os.system() function takes a string argument, which is the shell command you want to execute. For example, let's execute the ls command in a Unix-like system to list the files in the current directory:

os.system("ls")

This command will print the output directly to the console.

Step 3: Capture the Output

To capture the output of the command and print it in your Python script, you can use the subprocess module. The subprocess module provides more control and flexibility over executing and interacting with external processes. In this example, the subprocess.check_output() function is used to capture the output of the command. The text=True argument ensures that the result is returned as a string.

Python3

import subprocess

command = &quot;ls&quot;
result = subprocess.check_output(command, shell=True, text=True)
print(result)

Output:

sample_data

Step 4: Handling Exit Status

It's important to note that the os.system() and subprocess.check_output() functions return the exit status of the executed command. A non-zero exit status usually indicates an error. You can check and handle the exit status in your script. This way, you can catch and handle errors gracefully in case the executed command fails.

Python3

import subprocess

command = &quot;ls&quot;
try:
    result = subprocess.check_output(command, shell=True, text=True)
    print(result)
except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
    print(f&quot;Error executing command: {e}&quot;)

import os # Run a command using os.system command = "echo Hello, World!" os.system(command) # Capture the output of the command using subprocess result = os.popen(command).read() # Print the result print("Output from command:", result)

import os # Run a command using os.system command = "ls -l" # Example command to list files in the current directory os.system(command) # Capture the exit code of the command exit_code = os.system(command) # Print the exit code print("Exit code:", exit_code)

Print Output from Os.System in Python

How to Print Value that Comes from Os.System in Python?

Step 1: Import the os Module

Step 2: Use os. system() to Execute Command

Step 3: Capture the Output

Step 4: Handling Exit Status

Code Examples

Conclusion

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Print Output from Os.System in Python

How to Print Value that Comes from Os.System in Python?

Step 1: Import the os Module

Step 2: Use os. system() to Execute Command

Step 3: Capture the Output

Step 4: Handling Exit Status

Code Examples

Conclusion

Similar Reads

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