Python RSH client

rsh.py

import subprocess

class RemoteShell:
    def __init__(self, hostname, port=514, username='root', encoding='ascii'):
        self.hostname = hostname
        self.port = port
        self.username = username
        self.encoding = encoding
        self.rsh = ['/usr/bin/rsh', '-p', str(port), '%s@%s' % (username, hostname) ]

    def exec_command(self, command, get_exit_code=True):
        if get_exit_code:
            command += '; echo $?'
        p = subprocess.Popen(self.rsh + [ command ],
            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
            stderr=subprocess.PIPE)

        stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
        stdout = stdout.decode(self.encoding).split('\n')[:-1]
        stderr = stderr.decode(self.encoding).split('\n')[:-1]
        if not get_exit_code or p.returncode != 0:
            return stdout, stderr, p.returncode
        exit_code = int(stdout.pop())
        return stdout, stderr, exit_code