# \`(bacticks) returns "Bad File Descriptor" error with Apache

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/bacticks-returns-bad-file-descriptor-error-with-apache/157868>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 16, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/bacticks-returns-bad-file-descriptor-error-with-apache/157868 "2009-01-16T04:37:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![daniellesteel](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@daniellesteel](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/daniellesteel)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/bacticks-returns-bad-file-descriptor-error-with-apache/157868/1 "2009-01-16T04:37:40Z")

</div>

Hello,

I wanted to run a command line program from Ruby. I used `(backticks) to  
do this. It was successful if I run the program using Webrick but if I  
run it using Apache 2.2.8, a “Bad File Descriptor” error is returned.

I needed to run `svn list` command to get the names of the files in a  
target repository located in another machine. Using `(backticks) to run  
the command gives me the output that i need.

This is my code:  
`svn list #{path}`  
#path is the location of the SVN repository in another machine

Does anybody have any idea why `(backticks) return this kind of error in  
Apache?

I have already used some of the suggested ways in this site:  
[http://tech.natemurray.com/2007/03/ruby-shell-commands.html](http://tech.natemurray.com/2007/03/ruby-shell-commands.html)

Please help.  
Thank you very much.