How Can I Send a "Copy" Command Using Python Subprocess

Question

I am trying to send a command prompt command using Python Subprocess. I haven't been able to get my code to send "\" in the command. I usually specify directions as:

"D:\\deneme\\1"

or

r"D\deneme\\1"

So, I tried both as:

import subprocess
subprocess.run(["copy /b D:\\deneme\\1\\*.ts D:\\deneme\\1\\1.ts"])

But the string is sent as it is so I get the error, "FileNotFoundError: [WinError 2] The system cannot find the file specified". I also tried using the unicode number (\u005C), but it also returns double "\". What should I do in this case?

the subprocess module receives the command as a list of parts, not as a strings string in a list. You should try: subprocess.run(['copy', '/b', r'D:\deneme\1\*.ts', r'D:\deneme\1\1.ts']). I'm not a Windows user, but copy might need shell=True to be set. And BTW, there are direct options to copy something in Python. — Klaus D.
– Klaus D., Commented Aug 7, 2019 at 16:50
shell=True did the job, thank you. If you add it as answer, I could flag it. — xeraphin
– xeraphin, Commented Aug 7, 2019 at 17:07

chepner · Accepted Answer · 2019-08-07 16:59:26Z

1

Your system shell is try to find a command with the name copy /b D:\\..., not run copy with 3 arguments. Either drop the list:

subprocess.run("copy /b D:\\deneme\\1\\*.ts D:\\deneme\\1\\1.ts")

or pass a proper list containing the command name and its arguments as separate elements.

subprocess.run(["copy", "/b", "D:\\deneme\\1\\*.ts", "D:\\deneme\\1\\1.ts"])

edited Aug 7, 2019 at 16:59

answered Aug 7, 2019 at 16:52

chepner

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1 Comment

xeraphin Over a year ago

Tried both, neither worked. And to make sure the directories are correct, I typed "copy /b D:\deneme\1*.ts D:\deneme\1\1.ts" into shell and it works.

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