Opened 14 years ago

Last modified 13 years ago

#2199 accepted defect

Rainbow changes Python's sys.executable, breaking 0launch's GUI

Reported by: talex5 Owned by: sascha_silbe
Priority: Normal Milestone:
Component: Rainbow Version: Git as of bugdate
Severity: Minor Keywords:
Cc: mstone Distribution/OS:
Bug Status: Needinfo

Description

$ python -c 'import sys; print sys.executable'
/usr/bin/python

$ sudo rainbow-easy bug python -c "import sys; print sys.executable"
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

$ sudo rainbow-easy bug python
>>> import sys; print sys.executable
/home/test/

The Python docs say:

sys.executable

A string giving the name of the executable binary for the Python interpreter, on systems where this makes sense.

This is using the Ubuntu/Lucid universe rainbow package.

$ apt-cache policy rainbow
rainbow:
  Installed: 0.8.6-1
  Candidate: 0.8.6-1
  Version table:
 *** 0.8.6-1 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Change History (4)

comment:1 Changed 14 years ago by alsroot

  • Bug Status changed from Unconfirmed to Needinfo

Sorry but I can't find sys.executable invocation in 0sugar sources (and history), what particular usecase you mean?

comment:2 Changed 14 years ago by talex5

(sorry, maybe 0sugar is the wrong component but I couldn't find a better one)

zeroinstall/injector/download.py uses sys.executable to run a new copy of Python. This doesn't work under rainbow, because sys.executable is wrong for some reason.

e.g.

Use rainbow-easy to get a new shell. Run:

0launch --gui http://rox.sourceforge.net/2005/interfaces/Edit

This gives the error "[Errno 13] Permission denied".

comment:3 Changed 14 years ago by sascha_silbe

  • Cc mstone added
  • Component changed from 0sugar to Rainbow
  • Distribution/OS Unspecified deleted
  • Milestone Unspecified by Release Team deleted
  • Owner changed from alsroot to sascha_silbe
  • Priority changed from Unspecified by Maintainer to Normal
  • Severity changed from Unspecified to Minor
  • Status changed from new to accepted
  • Version changed from Unspecified to Git as of bugdate

What happens is that Rainbow
a) doesn't pass through PATH, but
b) uses execvpe() to look up the executable, passing through argv[0] unresolved.

Python apparently gets confused as it can't find itself using PATH. You can reproduce this without Rainbow:

sascha.silbe@twin:~$ env - python
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jan 24 2010, 17:44:40) 
[GCC 4.3.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.executable
'/home/sascha.silbe/'
>>> 
sascha.silbe@twin:~$ env - PATH="$PATH" python
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jan 24 2010, 17:44:40) 
[GCC 4.3.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.executable
'/usr/bin/python'
>>> 
sascha.silbe@twin:~$ env - /usr/bin/python
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jan 24 2010, 17:44:40) 
[GCC 4.3.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.executable
'/usr/bin/python'
>>> 
sascha.silbe@twin:~$ 

As a workaround you can use an absolute path to call python:

sascha.silbe@twin:~/src/rainbow$ sudo rainbow-easy foo /usr/bin/python
X-ifying isolated uid 10111.
X-ifying envdir /tmp/tmpW-OW3E.
-E XAUTHORITY=/var/spool/rainbow/2/uid_to_home_dir/10111/XAUTHORITY
-E ICEAUTHORITY=/var/spool/rainbow/2/uid_to_home_dir/10111/ICEAUTHORITY
-E USER=10111
-E HOME=/var/spool/rainbow/2/uid_to_home_dir/10111
-E DISPLAY=:0.0
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jan 24 2010, 17:44:40) 
[GCC 4.3.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import sys
>>> sys.executable
'/usr/bin/python'
>>> 

I guess the right solution would be to:
a) pass through PATH when using rainbow-easy and
b) look up the executable ourselves, passing the absolute path to both execve() and argv[0].

Michael, what do you think?

comment:4 Changed 13 years ago by mstone

Passing PATH through rainbow-easy seems like a good solution to Thomas' difficulty. I have therefore implemented this behavior in the 'ms/slo2199' topic branch in [1] and I have updated the (new) 'pu' proposed updates branch accordingly. Testing and review welcome.

As for path lookup... my general feeling is that rainbow-run shouldn't be guessing about what path the user meant. In this world, rainbow-run should call execve everywhere and rainbow-easy should pass an appropriate path to rainbow-run, e.g., by delegating the lookup to "which". A topic branch containing patches to this effect would be most welcome.

[1]: http://git.sugarlabs.org/projects/rainbow/repos/mainline

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