Running sh/bash/python scripts with arguments using Go

Question

I've been stuck on this one a few days, I'm trying to run a bash script which runs off of the first argument (maybe I should give up all hope, haha)

Syntax for running the script can be assumed to be:

sudo bash script argument or since it has og+x it can be ran as just sudo script argument

In go I'm running it using the following:

package main

import (
    "os"
    "os/exec"
    "fmt"
)

func main() {
    c := exec.Command("/bin/bash", "script " + argument)
    if err := c.Run(); err != nil {
        fmt.Println("Error: ", err)
    }
    os.Exit(0)
}

I have had absolutely no luck, I've tried loads of other variations as well for this...

exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", "sudo script", argument)

exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", "sudo script " + argument) (my first try)

exec.Command("/bin/bash", "-c", "sudo script" + argument)

exec.Command("/bin/bash", "sudo script", argument)

exec.Command("/bin/bash sudo script" + argument)

Most of these I am met with '/bin/bash sudo ect' no such file or directory, or Error: exit status 1 I have even gone as far as to write a Python wrapper looking for an argument and executing the bash script with subprocess. To rule out the path to the script not being defined I have tried all of the above with a direct route to the script rather than script name.

For the sake of my remaining hair, what am I doing wrong here? How can I better diagnose this problem so that I can get more information rather than exit status 1?

'/bin/bash sudo ect' would be incorrect - you could run a script this way, but not a binary executable (which sudo is). Invocation with -c option should do - but as you write that you tried that too, there's probably an additional problem. What's the error with -c? and what if you invoke sudo directly, without bash? Can you /bin/bash name_of_a_script execute that script? — Deleted User
– Deleted User, Commented Jul 12, 2014 at 11:33

OneOfOne · Accepted Answer · 2014-07-12 11:42:29Z

4

You don't need to call bash/sh at all, simply pass each argument alone, also to get the error you have to capture the command's stderr, here's a working example:

func main() {
    c := exec.Command("sudo", "ls", "/tmp")
    stderr := &bytes.Buffer{}
    stdout := &bytes.Buffer{}
    c.Stderr = stderr
    c.Stdout = stdout
    if err := c.Run(); err != nil {
        fmt.Println("Error: ", err, "|", stderr.String())
    } else {
        fmt.Println(stdout.String())
    }
    os.Exit(0)
}

answered Jul 12, 2014 at 11:42

OneOfOne

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5 Comments

sunshinekitty Over a year ago

Thanks a bunch for this, with the added information from the error I'm getting: Error: exit status 1 | sudosh: couldn't get your controlling terminal. So the bash script is calling sudosh and can't find my terminal due to I assume the way go is calling it

OneOfOne Over a year ago

You just need to use c := exec.Command("sudo", "script", argument)

sunshinekitty Over a year ago

That is what's being ran.. c := exec.Command("sudo", "path/to/script", argument) both /path/to/script and script yield the same

OneOfOne Over a year ago

You'd have to use a fake terminal, has nothing to do with the way Go is calling it, some apps require a pty to operate, that'd be a different question with a very long answer.

sunshinekitty Over a year ago

Thanks for the reply @OneOfOne this helps a lot. <- that sounds sarcastic, it's not meant to

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