python getoutput() equivalent in subprocess

Use subprocess.Popen:

import subprocess
process = subprocess.Popen(['ls', '-a'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
out, err = process.communicate()
print(out)

Note that communicate blocks until the process terminates. You could use process.stdout.readline() if you need the output before it terminates. For more information see the documentation.

For Python >= 2.7, use subprocess.check_output().

http://docs.python.org/2/library/subprocess.html#subprocess.check_output