def system_procRet(str_command, b_echoCommand=0):
        """
        Run the <str_command> on the underlying shell. Any stderr stream
        is lost.

        RETURN

            Tuple (retcode, str_stdout)
            o retcode: the system return code
            o str_stdout: the standard output stream
        """
        if b_echoCommand: printf('<p>str_command = %s</p>', str_command)
        str_stdout = os.popen(str_command).read()
        retcode = os.popen(str_command).close()
        return retcode, str_stdout