[mod_python] how to set environment for shell

Note that I use Apache 2.x and python 2.3 and mod_python 3.1.3 on  linux.
Upgrading mod_python is possible if required.

I need to run fop.sh as a shell command.  It needs the environment variable
JAVA_HOME.  When I run fop.sh from the command line all is good,  when I run
the same command using os.popen("..../fop.sh ......") the JAVA_HOME
environment variable is not defined.

I even tried os.putenv("JAVA_HOME", '/usr/java/java') and it was still
undefined in the fop.sh.

Can someone point me in the right direction, so far I'm just going in
circles.

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