Getting an AWK command to work in Python script

Question

I have this command in my Python script -

client.connect(host, username=username, pkey=mykey)
stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command('sudo grep -i "key_prefix" /path/to/my/file.txt | awk -F "'" '{ print $4}'')

However, I get the following error - SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal

How could I get the python script to cut up the string correctly?

This is the string I am performing the awk on -

$conf['key_prefix'] = 'my_string';. The value that I want is the my_string value. Inside of the bash console, it works correctly, but the python script throws an error.

If I add then all into a list, the value at index 0 of the list is this -

uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root),1(bin),2(daemon),3(sys),4(adm),6(disk),10(wheel) context=unconfined_u:unconfined_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023
$conf['key_prefix'] = 'my_string';
$conf['key_prefix'] = 'my_string';

Any ideas to get the awk command to work? Seems to be the easiest solution to the issues.

Thanks.

bravosierra99 · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-25 18:36:23Z

1

fairly certain you want to use some triple quotes here.

stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command('sudo grep -i "key_prefix" /path/to/my/file.txt | awk -F "'" '{ print $4}'')

should become

stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command("""sudo grep -i "key_prefix" /path/to/my/file.txt | awk -F "'" '{ print $4}'""")

The problem (based off what I can see) is that your first ' is matched right after the -F" and then you have a " after it which starts a new string. Could be wrong but try triple quotes and see if that helps.

answered Oct 25, 2016 at 18:36

bravosierra99

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2 Comments

J. Doe Over a year ago

That did it. Thanks for the quick help.

J. Doe Over a year ago

Have to wait three more minutes. I'll be sure to do that once the timer expires.

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