title: how to check something eg java, php, program etc installed with python?
body: <p>im makeing something like a check system before run so it meets the requirements with python.
  heres my code so far;</p>
  
  <pre><code>def checksystem():
      installednode = os.popen('node ' + srctocoffeecompiler + ' -v')
      // version 1.1.1
      print installednode.read()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>i can print the version but <strong>is there a better way to check its installed with a version higher then 1.0.x</strong> ? heres my code so far to do this.</p>
  
  <pre><code>version = installednode.read()
  if installednode.read() == 'CoffeeScript version 1.1.1':
      // the code
      // or split the string with space then get the last array
      // check if its more then 1.1.1 or 111 ( dots removed )
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>*edit ive read the docs about useing subprocess.Popen, that is maybe better, not sure. im still geting errors <em>no such file exist</em>.</p>
  
  <p>*edit2</p>
  
  <pre><code>pn = subprocess.Popen(['node','-v'], stdout = subprocess.PIPE, stdin = subprocess.PIPE, stderr = subprocess.PIPE)
  print "NodeJS version: " + pn.read()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>ok, somehow i can call it, but i cant read its output return, same with java</p>
  
  <pre><code>pj = subprocess.Popen(['java','-version'], stdout = subprocess.PIPE, stdin = subprocess.PIPE, stderr = subprocess.PIPE)
  print "JAVA: " + pj.read()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>thanks!</p>