python kill script.py by name not PID

Question

one script starts automatically when my raspberry is booted up, within this script there is motion sensor, if detected, it starts a subproces camera.py (recording a video, then converts the video and emails)

within the main script that starts u on booting up, there is another if statement, if button pressed then stop the camera.py and everything in it and do something else.

I am unable to kill process by PID because it keeps changing. The only other option is to kill camera.py by its name, but it doesn't work.

main script:

p1 = subprocess.Popen("sudo python /home/pi/camera.py", shell=True)

this is my camera.py script:

import os
os.system("raspivid -n -o /home/pi/viseo.h264 -t 10000")
os.system(.... python script0.py
os.system(.... python script1.py

i can do:

os.system("sudo killall raspivid")

if i try

os.system("sudo killall camera.py")

it gives me a message: No process found

this only stops the recording but i also want to kill every other script within camera.py

Can anyone help please? thanks

Mehdi Yedes · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-04 15:42:58Z

2

Use pkill:

$ sudo pkill -f camera.py

answered Feb 4, 2016 at 15:42

Mehdi Yedes

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5 Comments

Rolf of Saxony Over a year ago

Sweet ! much better than my option

Mehdi Yedes Over a year ago

Thanks! But it could be dangerous sometimes because it uses pattern matching.

michal Over a year ago

Thanks!!!!!!! this works, however didnt stop the recording but killed every other script within the camera.py

Headhunter Xamd Over a year ago

you should only use this method if absolutely necessary, brute force closing applications/scripts is waiting for problems and/or corruption of data.

Mehdi Yedes Over a year ago

@HeadhunterXamd Yes I've already mentioned that it's quite dangerous sometimes.

Rolf of Saxony · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-04 15:42:38Z

1

If you make camera.py executable, put it on your $PATH and make line 1 of the script #!/usr/bin/python, then execute camera.py without the python command in front of it, your "sudo killall camera.py" command should work.

answered Feb 4, 2016 at 15:42

Rolf of Saxony

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Comments

Headhunter Xamd · Accepted Answer · 2016-02-04 15:52:37Z

0

instead of using:

import os
os.system("raspivid -n -o /home/pi/viseo.h264 -t 10000")
os.system(.... python script0.py)
os.system(.... python script1.py)

you should use the same Popen structure as how you spawn this process. This gives you access to the Popen object of the calls.

import os 
pvid = subprocess.Popen("raspivid -n -o /home/pi/viseo.h264 -t 10000")
p1 = subprocess.Popen(.... python script0.py)
p2 = subprocess.Popen(.... python script1.py)

Then you can get the pid of all the different scripts and kill them through that.

This should actually be done through an shutdown sequence. You should never Force close applications if you can let it close itself.

answered Feb 4, 2016 at 15:52

Headhunter Xamd

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1 Comment

zondo Over a year ago

From the subprocess docs: "This module intends to replace several older modules and functions: os.system os.spawn* os.popen* popen2.* commands.*"

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