Patch to python 2.7 subprocess.py to show demonstrate what RHEL6 python 2.6 is doing. See https://bitbucket.org/eventlet/eventlet/pull-request/30/add-dummy-timeout-parameter-to

gistfile1.diff

--- subprocess.py.pristine	2013-05-02 09:32:32.314673712 +0100
+++ subprocess.py	2013-05-02 09:35:50.284568183 +0100
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@
 
     retcode = call(["ls", "-l"])
     """
-    return Popen(*popenargs, **kwargs).wait()
+    return Popen(*popenargs, **kwargs).wait(timeout=None)
 
 
 def check_call(*popenargs, **kwargs):
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@
             elif self.stderr:
                 stderr = _eintr_retry_call(self.stderr.read)
                 self.stderr.close()
-            self.wait()
+            self.wait(timeout=None)
             return (stdout, stderr)
 
         return self._communicate(input)
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@
             return self.returncode
 
 
-        def wait(self):
+        def wait(self, timeout=None):
             """Wait for child process to terminate.  Returns returncode
             attribute."""
             if self.returncode is None:
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@
                 if stderr:
                     stderr = self._translate_newlines(stderr)
 
-            self.wait()
+            self.wait(timeout=None)
             return (stdout, stderr)
 
         def send_signal(self, sig):
@@ -1283,7 +1283,7 @@
             return self.returncode
 
 
-        def wait(self):
+        def wait(self, timeout=None):
             """Wait for child process to terminate.  Returns returncode
             attribute."""
             if self.returncode is None:
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@
                 if stderr:
                     stderr = self._translate_newlines(stderr)
 
-            self.wait()
+            self.wait(timeout=None)
             return (stdout, stderr)