Start interactive SSH session from Python script

Question

I'd like to start an interactive SSH terminal from a Python script without using modules like pexpect or paramiko - I want to stick with what CentOS pre-installed Python provides me (to ease compatibility and deployment issues).

I can run commands fine using the subprocess module, but cannot get an interactive terminal. In Perl, I would just use backticks to achieve this, but am looking for the pythonic way of doing this.

Can someone point me in the right direction?

UPDATE - based on @leoluk's answer, I used the instructions from docs.python.org to come up with: subprocess.call("ssh ...", shell=True)

Solution

I get an interactive terminal if I use os.system('ssh [...]')

Comments

[sholsapp]

Using the instructions to convert os.system to Popen, I was able to make it work.

[snim2]

The OP did say s/he didn't want to use pexpect!

[mart1n]

@sholsapp Can you please share your solution using Popen? Thank you!

[sholsapp]

@mart1n I've updated the question to use the code that I came up with based on the docs.python.org/2/library/subprocess.html#replacing-os-syste‌​m instructions for replacing os.system.