old_contents: import subprocess
  
  # use this as check_output('ssh root@roach "pgrep -f bof$"',shell=True)
  
  def _check_output(*popenargs, **kwargs):
      r"""Run command with arguments and return its output as a byte string.
  
      If the exit code was non-zero it raises a CalledProcessError.  The
      CalledProcessError object will have the return code in the returncode
      attribute and output in the output attribute.
  
      The arguments are the same as for the Popen constructor.  Example:
  
      >>> check_output(["ls", "-l", "/dev/null"])
      'crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 1, 3 Oct 18  2007 /dev/null\n'
  
      The stdout argument is not allowed as it is used internally.
      To capture standard error in the result, use stderr=STDOUT.
  
      >>> check_output(["/bin/sh", "-c",
      ...               "ls -l non_existent_file ; exit 0"],
      ...              stderr=STDOUT)
      'ls: non_existent_file: No such file or directory\n'
      
      copied from python2.7
      """
      if 'stdout' in kwargs:
          raise ValueError('stdout argument not allowed, it will be overridden.')
      process = subprocess.Popen(stdout=subprocess.PIPE, *popenargs, **kwargs)
      output, unused_err = process.communicate()
      retcode = process.poll()
      if retcode:
          cmd = kwargs.get("args")
          if cmd is None:
              cmd = popenargs[0]
          raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd)
      return output
  
  try:
      from subprocess import check_output
  except ImportError:
      check_output = _check_output    
  def get_bof_pid():
      return int(check_output('ssh root@roach "pgrep -f bof$"', shell=True))
  
  def start_server(bof_pid):
      
      # Kill existing processes
      try:
      # Try/except block
          c = check_output('ssh root@roach pkill -f kid_ppc', shell=True)
          print 'process killed'
      # Problem here: if there is no process to kill, the program ends in an error.
      except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
          pass
          
      
      # remote_command = 'ssh root@roach "/boffiles/udp/channel_pingpong_fileserver %s %s"' % (a,buff_name)
      #remote_command = 'nohup ssh root@roach "/boffiles/udp/channel_pingpong_fileserver %s %s" < /dev/null &> /dev/null &' % (a, buff_name)
      remote_command = 'nohup ssh root@roach "/boffiles/udp/kid_ppc %s" < /dev/null &> /dev/null &' % (bof_pid,)
      print remote_command
      b = check_output(remote_command, shell=True)
      # The goal of the extra stuff is to not wait for a return. This doesn't seem to work.
  
  '''Check output sends commands to the terminal. The goal here is to write a 
  program that automatically starts up the roach, initializes channels, etc.'''
  
new_contents: import subprocess
  
  # use this as check_output('ssh root@roach "pgrep -f bof$"',shell=True)
  
  def _check_output(*popenargs, **kwargs):
      r"""Run command with arguments and return its output as a byte string.
  
      If the exit code was non-zero it raises a CalledProcessError.  The
      CalledProcessError object will have the return code in the returncode
      attribute and output in the output attribute.
  
      The arguments are the same as for the Popen constructor.  Example:
  
      >>> check_output(["ls", "-l", "/dev/null"])
      'crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 1, 3 Oct 18  2007 /dev/null\n'
  
      The stdout argument is not allowed as it is used internally.
      To capture standard error in the result, use stderr=STDOUT.
  
      >>> check_output(["/bin/sh", "-c",
      ...               "ls -l non_existent_file ; exit 0"],
      ...              stderr=STDOUT)
      'ls: non_existent_file: No such file or directory\n'
      
      copied from python2.7
      """
      if 'stdout' in kwargs:
          raise ValueError('stdout argument not allowed, it will be overridden.')
      process = subprocess.Popen(stdout=subprocess.PIPE, *popenargs, **kwargs)
      output, unused_err = process.communicate()
      retcode = process.poll()
      if retcode:
          cmd = kwargs.get("args")
          if cmd is None:
              cmd = popenargs[0]
          raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd)
      return output
  
  try:
      from subprocess import check_output
  except ImportError:
      check_output = _check_output    
  def get_bof_pid():
      return int(check_output('ssh root@roach "pgrep -f bof$"', shell=True))
  
  def start_server(bof_pid):
      try:
          c = check_output('ssh root@roach pkill -f kid_ppc', shell=True)
          print 'process killed'
      except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
          pass
          
      
      # remote_command = 'ssh root@roach "/boffiles/udp/channel_pingpong_fileserver %s %s"' % (a,buff_name)
      #remote_command = 'nohup ssh root@roach "/boffiles/udp/channel_pingpong_fileserver %s %s" < /dev/null &> /dev/null &' % (a, buff_name)
      remote_command = 'ssh root@roach "nohup /boffiles/udp/kid_ppc %s < /dev/null &> /dev/null &"' % (bof_pid,)
      print remote_command
      b = check_output(remote_command, shell=True)
  
subject: clean up borph_utils.start_server, works better on detectors now