# Trouble with system() on SunOS **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [May 16, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/trouble-with-system-on-sunos/104301 "2007-05-16T16:23:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/edb3f5/32.png) [@galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/galevsky)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/trouble-with-system-on-sunos/104301/1 "2007-05-16T16:23:13Z")
Hi all, I am facing trouble with a system call on one of my tool: XmlChecker - The script – test.rb system “echo ‘Here is the tool’” system “which XmlChecker” system “echo ‘$PATH def’” system “echo $PATH” system “XmlChecker -V” - The execution: [578] XmlChecker -V v1.9 [579] ruby -W0 test.rb Here is the tool /projects/fqdbdatamig/tools/prod/bin//XmlChecker $PATH def […]:/projects/fqdbdatamig/tools/prod/bin/:. [580] Note that I ran the script with -W0 to avoid “warning: Insecure world writable dir /teams/com\_fqd\_dev/tools, mode 040777” messages. What is wrong with that ? The system call does not read the $PATH var ? Why ‘echo’ ran well ? Many thanks for your support, Gal’ ---
**Author:** ![galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/edb3f5/32.png) [@galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/galevsky)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/trouble-with-system-on-sunos/104301/2 "2007-05-16T18:25:52Z")
> Insecure world writable dir /teams/com\_fqd\_dev/tools, mode > 040777" messages. > > What is wrong with that ? The system call does not read the > $PATH var ? > Why ‘echo’ ran well ? > The first echo of $PATH has $PATH surrounded by single quotes; the shell > will not evaluate $PATH, instead taking it literally. Encapsulate it in > double quotes (you’ll need to escape them so they execute properly), and > it should work as expected. irb(main):003:0\> system “echo “$PATH def”” /usr/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/php/bin:/usr/ccs/b in:/usr/local/mysql/bin def =\> true (The above was run on a Solaris 10 machine) ---
**Author:** ![galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/edb3f5/32.png) [@galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/galevsky)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/trouble-with-system-on-sunos/104301/3 "2007-05-31T16:03:40Z")
Doug P. wrote: > > Insecure world writable dir /teams/com\_fqd\_dev/tools, mode > > 040777" messages. > > > > What is wrong with that ? The system call does not read the > > $PATH var ? > > Why ‘echo’ ran well ? > > The first echo of $PATH has $PATH surrounded by single quotes; the shell > > will not evaluate $PATH, instead taking it literally. Encapsulate it in > > double quotes (you’ll need to escape them so they execute properly), and > > it should work as expected. > > irb(main):003:0\> system “echo “$PATH def”” > /usr/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/php/bin:/usr/ccs/b > in:/usr/local/mysql/bin def > =\> true > > (The above was run on a Solaris 10 machine) LOL, i am not facing a problem with a print of $PATH var, since I know how to do and did it on the next line, what is wrong is the execution… [578] XmlChecker -V v1.9 [579] ruby -W0 test.rb Here is the tool /projects/fqdbdatamig/tools/prod/bin//XmlChecker $PATH def […]:/projects/fqdbdatamig/tools/prod/bin/:. [580] Well, when I run ‘XmlChecker -V’ in a shell, it generates the output ‘v1.9’. When I try to run it through out a ruby script ‘system “XmlChecker -V”’, nothing happens, like it was not executed. Is ‘Xmlchecker -V’ not executed ? Why ? the $PATH var shows it knows where to find the tool XmlChecker. Thanks for your support, Gal’ ---
**Author:** ![galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/edb3f5/32.png) [@galevsky](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/galevsky)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/trouble-with-system-on-sunos/104301/4 "2007-05-31T16:36:25Z")
On 31.05.2007 16:03, Galevsky G. wrote: > > double quotes (you’ll need to escape them so they execute properly), and > > how to do and did it on the next line, what is wrong is the > > [580] > > Well, when I run ‘XmlChecker -V’ in a shell, it generates the output > ‘v1.9’. > When I try to run it through out a ruby script ‘system “XmlChecker -V”’, > nothing happens, like it was not executed. Is ‘Xmlchecker -V’ not > executed ? Why ? the $PATH var shows it knows where to find the tool > XmlChecker. > > Thanks for your support, Since you do not need shell interpolation I’d use the array form of system: system “XmlChecker”, “-V” Frankly, I am not sure why you are not seeing anything. Maybe it has something to do with output buffering or such. As an alternative you could do p `XmlChecker -V` to see whether there is any output. Another reason why you don’t see anything is that XmlChecker might print the version to stderr. To verify do this at a shell prompt XmlChecker -V 2\> /dev/null If you do not see the version then it’s printed to stderr. Kind regards robert