Execute a child process, redirecting its output and error to files. If it's not done after a predetermined number of seconds, KILL IT WITH FIRE. Tested on Python 2.4+

timed_kill.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

"""
Execute a child process, redirecting its output and error to files. If it's not
done after a predetermined number of seconds, KILL IT WITH FIRE
"""

from optparse import OptionParser
import shlex, subprocess, time, os, sys

def timed_kill(program, stdout_file, stderr_file, timeout):
    stdout_fp = open(stdout_file, 'w+')
    stderr_fp = open(stderr_file, 'w+')

    # Spawn the child process
    child_process = subprocess.Popen(program, stdout=stdout_fp,
                                     stderr=stderr_fp)

    # Poll the process every half a second until it either finishes or time runs out
    max_poll_loops = timeout * 2
    poll_loops = 0
    while child_process.returncode == None and poll_loops < max_poll_loops:
        child_process.poll()
        time.sleep(0.5)
        poll_loops += 1

    # Process still isn't done, time to kill it
    if child_process.returncode == None:
        os.system("kill %d" % (child_process.pid))

        for fp in [stdout_fp, stderr_fp]:
            fp.write("\n\n*** Timed out after %d seconds, killed ***\n" %
                     (timeout))

    for fp in [stdout_fp, stderr_fp]:
        fp.flush()
        fp.close()


def main():
    parser = OptionParser(usage="%prog [options] "
                          "<child program and its arguments>")
    parser.add_option("-o", "--output", help="file to which to output stdout "
                      "from child process")
    parser.add_option("-e", "--error", help="file to which to output stderr "
                      "from child process")
    parser.add_option("-t", "--timeout", help="number of seconds to wait "
                      "before timing out and killing the child process",
                      type=int)

    (options, args) = parser.parse_args()

    program = shlex.split(' '.join(args))

    timed_kill(program = program,
               stdout_file = options.output,
               stderr_file = options.error,
               timeout = options.timeout)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

KILL ALL THE THINGS WITH FIRE.