Open a PuTTY window via Python subprocess.Popen (or Paramiko session) and run number of shell commands (like "top") in the same window

Question

I want to open a PuTTY window, login to some server and enter few commands right after that and at the end save the output. I want to see the PuTTY window open and all activity that I am doing via program (hence need PuTTY GUI).

Here is what I have tried: I am able to open a new window and login in it. But using stdin.write I am not able to enter further commands in the same window. What am I doing wrong here? I am very new to python. Please help.

import subprocess
from subprocess import Popen, PIPE, STDOUT

p = subprocess.Popen("putty.exe [email protected] -pw password", stdout=PIPE, stdin=PIPE, stderr=STDOUT)
p.stdin.write("ls".encode("utf-8"))
print(p.stdout.readlines())

I have tried Paramiko, and don't want to use it, as it fails to display/print the output of commands like top.

question from:https://stackoverflow.com/questions/65916302/open-a-putty-window-via-python-subprocess-popen-or-paramiko-session-and-run-nu

Answer 1

PuTTY is a GUI application, it does not use a standard input. It is not intended for automation. For automation, you can use Plink, what is a console equivalent of PuTTY.
See also Pipe PuTTY console to Python script

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Though you should use Paramiko. It does not fail to display/print the output of commands like "top". It' not what it is for. You have to attach it to a terminal to achieve what you want. See Running interactive commands in Paramiko.

Or for automation, you better run the top non-interactively. See your other question Collect output from top command using Paramiko in Python.