subprocess.run() doesn't return any output

Question

I can't figure out why my code doesn't return any output. I'm running python 3.8

bash_command = ['compgen', '-c']
process = subprocess.run(bash_command,
                         check=True,
                         text=True,
                         shell=True,
                         executable='/bin/bash',
                         capture_output=True
                         )

software_list = process.stdout.split('\n')
print(software_list)

Print gives me empty list: ['']

EDIT:

compgen is bash command which lists all available commands, both built-ins and installed programs available in PATH
I have compgen installed on my machine

Please add `print(process)` immediately before `software_list = process.stdout.split('\n')` and write what it is output. — Daweo, Feb 10 '21 at 11:33
both print(process) and print(repr(process)) returned: CompletedProcess(args=['compgen', '-c'], returncode=0, stdout='', stderr='') — Janek, Feb 10 '21 at 11:48
Does this answer your question? [Subprocess library won't execute compgen](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23550650/subprocess-library-wont-execute-compgen) — MisterMiyagi, Feb 10 '21 at 11:53

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 10 '21 at 11:52

When you run a program specifying shell=True, the command argument can be a single string instead of a list of strings. This is one instance where it needs to be a single string:

import subprocess


bash_command = 'compgen -c' # single string
process = subprocess.run(bash_command,
                         check=True,
                         text=True,
                         shell=True,
                         executable='/bin/bash',
                         capture_output=True
                         )

software_list = process.stdout.split('\n')
print(software_list)

subprocess.run() doesn't return any output

1 Answers1