[Tutor] os.rename type error

[Lewis Bergman]

I know this should be readily apparent due to the fact that python tells me 
what is wrong. I just can't seem to figure out why.

Here is the offending bit of code minus the irrelevant parts:
---------------------------------------------------
conf = "/root/domains.to.scan.conf"
back = "/root/domains.to.scan.conf.old"

import string, getopt, sys, os

def main(conf = conf, back = back, domains = domains):

	def read(conf = conf, back = back):
		"""Read the conf file in, make a backup, blank the original."""
		print conf, back
		conf = open(conf, 'r')
		temp = conf.readlines()
		conf.close()
		os.rename(conf, back)
		conf = open(conf, 'w')
		return conf, temp
-----------------------------------------------------------
When I call the function I get this:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./dom2scan.py", line 86, in ?
    main()
  File "./dom2scan.py", line 56, in main
    add(string.lower(args[i]))
  File "./dom2scan.py", line 34, in add
    conf, temp = read()
  File "./dom2scan.py", line 24, in read
    os.rename(conf, back)
TypeError: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, file found

You can see that I am using strings in both the source and destination 
arguemnents for os.rename. Does this mean I have to convert them to Unicode 
first? I guess that would be part of the string module. The reference library 
didn't say anything about that. The source and destination files are on the 
same filesystem on a linux box. The destination does not exist and I am root 
anyway.

Any clues would be appreciated.
-- 
Lewis Bergman
Texas Communications
4309 Maple St.
Abilene, TX 79602-8044
915-695-6962 ext 115