Greetings, Federico Kircheis! > On 04/01/2025 02.41, Andrey Repin wrote: >> Greetings, Federico Kircheis! >> >> Hello to everyone, >> > >> I've noticed that env seems to handle the environment variable PATH in >> > >> a particular way >> > >> ----- >> >> cd /d; >> >> env -i PATH='C:\Windows;C:\Windows\system32;' >> /c/Windows/System32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/powershell.exe >>> # in the powershell instance >>> echo $env:PATH >>> C;D:\Windows;C;D:\Windows\system32; >>> ---- >> > Fully expected behavior. `env` expects POSIX semantics and parsed your >> command according to that. >> The results are, as I said, expected, although not by you. > What do you mean by POSIX semantic? > On my Linux system, PATH is used unmodified by subprocesses, not transformed. > This is (IMHO) the expected semantic.
No. env is a Cygwin (POSIX) tool and it works with POSIX paths. When starting non-POSIX app, Cygwin will translate $PATH back to native format. > I am not aware of any rule in POSIX that requires or recommends some > transformations for environment variables, in that sense, any transformation > is "unexpected" or an extension to the standard. That's Cygwin specific. > It completely makes sense to convert cygwin paths to windows path when > invoking windows programs, but it is not my case. Then why TF you supply Windows paths to it? > Hence why I searched for an option, even an explicit one, to tell cygwin > not to modify the parameters, but use them as-is. >>> From this and other examples it seems that env uses for PATH as >>> separator, then preprends the current drive to all paths that begin with '\' >>> (thus all of them), and ";" is treated as part of the path >> > Exactly. >> >> I would like to use the PATH as-is in the invoked program, just like it >> >> is done for other variables, for example >> >> ---- >>> cd /d >>> env -i OPATH='C:\Windows;C:\Windows\system32;' >>> /c/Windows/System32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/powershell.exe >>> # in the powershell instance >>> echo $env:OPATH >>> C:\Windows;C:\Windows\system32; >>> ---- >> >> in this case OPATH is forwarded as-is to powershell.exe. >> >> I understand that PATH is special, that for cygwin processes some >> >> transformation might be necessary. >> > It is, but in a way you suppose. >> >> But is there any way to achieve what I'm trying? >> > Yes. Pass the POSIX paths in $PATH, they will be converted to Windows ones >> when invoking a Windows process. >> Also, I strongly suggest using /proc/cygdrive/ tree in such case, especially >> when you make scripts for somebody else. > I was not aware of /proc/cygdrive/, thank you for the hint, although I am not > sure how it helps. >>> I search if there is maybe a separation option for telling env to use PATH >>> as-is, but could not find none. >> > There's no need or reason to do it. >> > In your case, what you wanted to achieve could be written as >> >>> env -i "PATH=$(cygpath -UW):$(cygpath -US):$PATH" pwsh > The reason is I already have a variable containing the path I should use as > PATH, and it is the windows expected format. But you just said that your app is NOT a Windows app. Then why do you attempt to supply it Windows paths? Then in your example you invoke PowerShell which IS a Windows app. So, what was it? > I need to convert it to a cygwin path, so that env translates it back again. > It is doable, but sounds completely unnecessary. Nope. > Also it comes at a particular cost at runtime. > I want to start the subshell as fast as possible. () will start a subshell. As fast as possible. > Iterating and invoking an external program (cygpath) for every path takes > some time. Depends on actual use case, it may be just a single invocation for entire list. But let's stop there and settle the matter of what we are doing and what is the expected result. >> (The "%SystemRoot%" is NOT NECESSARILY 'C:\Windows', though you CAN use >> "%SystemRoot%\System32" with confidence, once you acquired the former.) >> (Also, why the *** you are using v1.0? Get v7 already, save yourself the >> tragedy.) > Because the executable I invoked is the one installed on all Windows > versions since Windows 7 (or maybe even Vista?). > Also the actual version is not 1.0, but something like 5.something (if I > remember correctly) Yes, it's more like v5 at the moment. > v7 is AFAIK a different product, but most importantly it needs to be > installed separately, and would not change the issue I have. But it's infinitely more powerful. Bonus: /usr/local/bin/pwsh >> #!/bin/sh >> >> if [ "$1" ] && [ -f "${_cmd:="$( cygpath -am -- "$1" )"}" ]; then >> shift >> else >> unset _cmd >> fi >> >> if [ "$_cmd" ]; then >> "$PROGRAMFILES/PowerShell/7/pwsh.exe" "-NoLogo" "-File" "$_cmd" "$@" >> else >> "$PROGRAMFILES/PowerShell/7/pwsh.exe" "-NoLogo" "$@" >> fi -- With best regards, Andrey Repin Saturday, January 4, 2025 23:00:36 Sorry for my terrible english... -- Problem reports: https://cygwin.com/problems.html FAQ: https://cygwin.com/faq/ Documentation: https://cygwin.com/docs.html Unsubscribe info: https://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple