code: def run_command(cmd, redirect_output=True, check_exit_code=True):
      
      if redirect_output:
          stdout = subprocess.PIPE
      else:
          stdout = None
      proc = subprocess.Popen(cmd, cwd=ROOT, stdout=stdout)
      output = proc.communicate()[0]
      if check_exit_code and proc.returncode != 0:
          raise Exception('Command "%s" failed.\n%s' % (' '.join(cmd), output))
      return output
docs: Runs a command in an out-of-process shell, returning the
      output of that command.  Working directory is ROOT.