Subprocess with timout. Inspired by http://stackoverflow.com/a/4825933

subprocess_thread.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
"""
:mod:`subprocess_thread`
========================

.. module:: subprocess_thread
   :platform: Unix, Windows
   :synopsis:

.. moduleauthor:: hbldh <henrik.blidh@nedomkull.com>

Created on 2014-09-03, 08:45

"""

from __future__ import division
from __future__ import print_function
from __future__ import unicode_literals
from __future__ import absolute_import

import subprocess
import threading


class SubprocessThread(object):
    """Tool for starting a subprocess with a timeout.

    Inspired by http://stackoverflow.com/a/4825933

    """

    def __init__(self, cmd, cwd=None):
        self.cmd = cmd
        self.cwd = cwd
        self._process = None
        self._output = None

    def run(self, timeout):
        """Run the new process in a separate thread.

        :param timeout: The time that this thread should be allowed to live.
        :type timeout: int, float
        :return: The Process stdout.
        :rtype: unicode

        """
        def target():
            self._process = subprocess.Popen(self.cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, cwd=self.cwd)
            self._output = self._process.communicate()[0]

        thread = threading.Thread(target=target)
        thread.start()

        thread.join(timeout)
        if thread.is_alive():
            self._process.terminate()
            thread.join()
        return self._output


def main():
    import os
    import argparse

    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Running a subprocess call in a separate thread to enable timeout.')

    parser.add_argument('cmd', help='The command to run in separate process.')
    parser.add_argument('--cwd', action='store', default=os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)),
                        help='The directory to execute the command in.')
    parser.add_argument('--timeout', action='store', type=int, default=60,
                        help='Timeout for the process. Default is 60 seconds.')
    args = parser.parse_args()

    t = SubprocessThread(args.cmd.split(' '), cwd=args.cwd)
    output = t.run(args.timeout)
    if output is not None:
        print(output)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()