How to check the read/write status of storage media in python?

Question

How can i check the read/ write permission of the file storing media? ie assume i have to write some file inside a directory and that directory may be available on read only media like (cd or dvd)or etc. So how can i check that storing media ( cd, hard disk) having a read only or read write both permission.

I am using windows xp os.

Thanks.

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 20 '10 at 11:07

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Use the os.access(path, mode) function. It should be much more portable than the win32api function. Though, I have no experience with it on non-POSIX systems.

On the other hand, why don't you just try to write the file and handle exception appropriately?

answered Mar 20 '10 at 11:07

Jacek Konieczny

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"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." – Mar 20 '10 at 11:24
Does not work correctly on read-only optical media: `>>> os.access("d:\\", os.W_OK) --> True` – Gringo Suave Jan 17 '13 at 08:06

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 20 '10 at 11:19

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import os
from stat import *

if S_IMODE(os.stat(dir_name)) & S_IWRITE != 0:

is more portable, if not necessarily more readable.

answered Mar 20 '10 at 11:19

msw

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but `os.access()`, as Jacek notes, is better still – msw Mar 20 '10 at 11:21
This works in the case where os.access failed, read-only optical media: `>>> stat.S_IMODE(os.stat("d:\\").st_mode) & stat.S_IWRITE --> 0` – Gringo Suave Jan 17 '13 at 08:10

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 09:57

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Use the win32api.GetFileAttributes method.

P.S. also see this SO question

edited May 23 '17 at 09:57

Community

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answered Mar 20 '10 at 10:50

Eli Bendersky

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How to check the read/write status of storage media in python?

3 Answers3