from subprocess import call
call(["ls", "-l"])

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/89228/how-to-call-external-command-in-python

The advantage of subprocess vs system is that it is more flexible (you can get the stdout, stderr, the "real" status code, better error handling, etc...). I think os.system is deprecated, too, or will be:

http://www.python.org/doc/2.5/lib/node534.html

For quick/dirty/one time scripts, os.system is enough, though.

call os command from python

Python