Python os Module
The os module provides a portable way of using operating system dependent functionality.
Use it to work with the filesystem, environment variables, processes, and more.
Members
Notes:
[Windows] = Available on Windows only.
[Unix] = Available on POSIX systems (Linux, macOS, etc.).
[Linux] = Linux-only.
Some functions exist on multiple platforms but may have limited behavior (marked in the description).
| Member | Description |
|---|---|
| access() | Check user’s permissions for a path. |
| add_dll_directory() [Windows] | Add a path to the DLL search path. |
| chdir() | Change the current working directory. |
| chmod() | Change the mode (permissions) of a path. |
| chown() [Unix] | Change owner and group of path. |
| close() | Close a file descriptor. |
| closerange() | Close a range of file descriptors. |
| cpu_count() | Return the number of CPUs in the system (may be None). |
| ctermid() [Unix] | Return filename of controlling terminal. |
| devnull | Path of the null device. |
| device_encoding() | Return encoding for a file descriptor, or None. |
| dup() | Duplicate a file descriptor. |
| dup2() | Duplicate a file descriptor to a given fd. |
| dup3() | Duplicate a file descriptor to a given fd (with flags). |
| environ | Mapping object representing the process environment. |
| execl() | Execute a new program (varargs form). |
| execle() | Execute a new program with environment (varargs). |
| execlp() | Execute a new program, searching PATH (varargs). |
| execlpe() | Execute a new program with environment, searching PATH (varargs). |
| execv() | Execute a new program, replacing the current process. |
| execve() | Execute a new program with environment (low-level). |
| execvp() | Execute a program, searching PATH. |
| execvpe() | Execute a program with environment, searching PATH. |
| extsep | Extension separator for the operating system. |
| fchdir() [Unix] | Change working directory to the one given by an open file descriptor. |
| fchmod() [Unix] | Change the mode of a file given by file descriptor. |
| fchown() [Unix] | Change owner and group of a file given by file descriptor. |
| fdopen() | Return an open file object connected to a file descriptor. |
| fork() [Unix] | Fork a child process. |
| fsdecode() | Decode a path-like or bytes object to str. |
| fsencode() | Encode a path-like or str object to bytes. |
| fspath() | Return the file system representation of a path-like object. |
| fstat() | Perform a stat on an open file descriptor. |
| ftruncate() | Truncate a file to a specified length. |
| get_blocking() | Get the blocking mode of a file descriptor. |
| getcwd() | Return the current working directory as str. |
| getcwdb() | Return the current working directory as bytes. |
| getegid() [Unix] | Return the effective group id. |
| geteuid() [Unix] | Return the effective user id. |
| get_exec_path() | Return the sequence of directories that will be searched for executables. |
| getgid() [Unix] | Return the real group id. |
| getgrouplist() [Unix] | Return list of group ids a user belongs to. |
| get_inheritable() | Get the inheritable flag of a file descriptor. |
| getlogin() [Unix] | Return the name of the user logged in on the controlling terminal. |
| getpgid() [Unix] | Return the process group id of a process. |
| getpgrp() [Unix] | Return the process group id of the current process. |
| getpid() | Return the current process id. |
| getppid() | Return the parent process id. |
| getpriority() [Unix] | Get process scheduling priority. |
| getsid() [Unix] | Return the session id of a process. |
| get_terminal_size() | Return the size of the terminal window as columns and lines. |
| getuid() [Unix] | Return the real user id. |
| isatty() | Return True if the file descriptor is open and connected to a tty device. |
| kill() [limited on Windows] | Send signal to a process. |
| killpg() [Unix] | Send a signal to a process group. |
| linesep | String used to separate (or terminate) lines on the current platform. |
| link() | Create a hard link pointing to a path. |
| listdir() | Return a list of entries in a directory. |
| lseek() | Set the position of a file descriptor. |
| lstat() | Like stat(), but do not follow symbolic links. |
| makedirs() | Recursively create directories. |
| memfd_create() [Linux] | Create an anonymous memory file. |
| mkdir() | Create a directory. |
| mkfifo() [Unix] | Create a FIFO (named pipe). |
| mknod() [Unix] | Create a filesystem node. |
| name | The name of the OS-dependent module imported. |
| open() | Low-level OS open; returns a file descriptor. |
| openpty() [Unix] | Open a new pseudo-terminal pair. |
| path | Submodule for pathname manipulations. |
| pathsep | String used to separate search path components (e.g., ';' on Windows). |
| pipe() | Create a pipe, returning a pair of file descriptors (r, w). |
| pipe2() [Unix] | Create a pipe with flags. |
| posix_spawn() [Unix] | Spawn a process (POSIX, efficient). |
| posix_spawnp() [Unix] | Spawn a process searching PATH (POSIX). |
| pread() [Unix] | Read from a file descriptor at a given position. |
| pwrite() [Unix] | Write to a file descriptor at a given position. |
| putenv() | Set the value of an environment variable. |
| read() | Read from a file descriptor. |
| readlink() | Return the path to which a symbolic link points. |
| readv() [Unix] | Read from a file descriptor into multiple buffers. |
| register_at_fork() [Unix] | Register callables to be executed at process fork. |
| remove() | Remove (delete) a file. |
| rename() | Rename a file or directory. |
| renames() | Recursively rename a file or directory. |
| rmdir() | Remove (delete) a directory. |
| scandir() | Return an iterator of DirEntry objects. |
| sched_getaffinity() [Unix] | Get CPU affinity mask. |
| sched_setaffinity() [Unix] | Set CPU affinity mask. |
| sched_yield() [Unix] | Yield the processor. |
| sep | Path separator for the current platform. |
| set_blocking() | Set the blocking mode of a file descriptor. |
| setegid() [Unix] | Set the effective group id. |
| setenv() | Set an environment variable (if available). |
| seteuid() [Unix] | Set the effective user id. |
| setgid() [Unix] | Set the real group id. |
| setgroups() [Unix] | Set the list of group ids for the current process. |
| set_handle_inheritable() [Windows] | Set handle inheritable flag. |
| set_inheritable() | Set the inheritable flag of a file descriptor. |
| setpgid() [Unix] | Set the process group id. |
| setpgrp() [Unix] | Make the current process a session leader. |
| setpriority() [Unix] | Set process scheduling priority. |
| setregid() [Unix] | Set the real and effective group ids. |
| setreuid() [Unix] | Set the real and effective user ids. |
| setsid() [Unix] | Start a new session. |
| setuid() [Unix] | Set the real user id. |
| spawnl() | Spawn a process with a path (varargs). |
| spawnle() | Spawn a process with a path and environment (varargs). |
| spawnlp() | Spawn a process searching PATH (varargs). |
| spawnlpe() | Spawn a process searching PATH with environment (varargs). |
| spawnv() | Spawn a process with a path (vector args). |
| spawnve() | Spawn a process with a path and environment (vector args). |
| spawnvp() | Spawn a process searching PATH (vector args). |
| spawnvpe() | Spawn a process searching PATH with environment (vector args). |
| startfile() [Windows] | Open a file with its associated application. |
| stat() | Perform a stat system call on a path. |
| statvfs() [Unix] | Return filesystem statistics. |
| strerror() | Return the error message corresponding to an errno value. |
| supports_bytes_environ | True if environ accepts bytes keys/values. |
| supports_dir_fd | True if functions accept a dir_fd parameter. |
| supports_effective_ids | True if functions support effective ids. |
| supports_fd | True if functions accept a file descriptor. |
| supports_follow_symlinks | True if functions support follow_symlinks parameter. |
| symlink() | Create a symbolic link. On Windows, requires Developer Mode or administrator privileges. |
| sync() [Unix] | Flush file system buffers. |
| system() | Execute the command (string) in a subshell. |
| times() | Return process times. |
| truncate() | Truncate a file to a specified length. |
| umask() | Set the process umask and return the previous value. |
| uname() [Unix] | Return OS identification. |
| unlink() | Remove (delete) a file. |
| urandom() | Return random bytes for cryptographic use. |
| utime() | Set access and modified times. |
| wait() [Unix] | Wait for completion of a child process. |
| wait3() [Unix] | Wait for a child process, returning resource usage. |
| wait4() [Unix] | Wait for a child process with rusage. |
| waitpid() [Unix] | Wait for completion of a specific child process. |
| walk() | Generate file names in a directory tree by walking. |
| write() | Write to a file descriptor. |
| writev() [Unix] | Write to a file descriptor from multiple buffers. |
