executing system calls

[earthdirt]

Python Newbie running Mandriva Linux.

I want to do a system call from a python program. Mandriva has a package manager command called urpmi. If I wanted it to install a rpm I would say on the command line "urpmi rpmname". How can execute this command from my python program?

I found 'subprocess' in the python docs, imported it into IDLE, but I can't seem to make it's example work.

So, if I wanted to do the "urpmi rpmname" command or "urpmi --auto-update" which would update my system, what should the python statement look like in my python code?

Thanks!

[Laharl]

Use os.system(). It takes a string input that is the same thing you would normally type on the command line to do something, for example, to do ls,
[CODE=python]
import os
os.system('ls')
[/CODE]

If those commands require root, as their equivalents do under Ubuntu, there's a bit more work needed, but it's still doable. I think.