Terminate a python script from another python script

Question

I've got a long running python script that I want to be able to end from another python script. Ideally what I'm looking for is some way of setting a process ID to the first script and being able to see if it is running or not via that ID from the second. Additionally, I'd like to be able to terminate that long running process.

Any cool shortcuts exist to make this happen?

Also, I'm working in a Windows environment.

I just recently found an alternative answer here: Check to see if python script is running

Solution 1

You could get your own PID (Process Identifier) through

import os
os.getpid()

and to kill a process in Unix

import os, signal
os.kill(5383, signal.SIGKILL)

to kill in Windows use

import subprocess as s
def killProcess(pid):
    s.Popen('taskkill /F /PID {0}'.format(pid), shell=True)

You can send the PID to the other programm or you could search in the process-list to find the name of the other script and kill it with the above script.

I hope that helps you.

Solution 2

You're looking for the subprocess module.

import subprocess as sp

extProc = sp.Popen(['python','myPyScript.py']) # runs myPyScript.py 

status = sp.Popen.poll(extProc) # status should be 'None'

sp.Popen.terminate(extProc) # closes the process

status = sp.Popen.poll(extProc) # status should now be something other than 'None' ('1' in my testing)

subprocess.Popen starts the external python script, equivalent to typing 'python myPyScript.py' in a console or terminal.

The status from subprocess.Popen.poll(extProc) will be 'None' if the process is still running, and (for me) 1 if it has been closed from within this script. Not sure about what the status is if it has been closed another way.

Comments

[Nick]

os.kill is a Unix only operation.

[Nick]

os.kill can be emulated: docs.python.org/faq/…