Setting env.path affects local() operation

[floledermann]

I am on Windows so I am not sure if this affects other Platforms.

It turns out that when env.path is set, local() stops executing commands on Windows.

Simple testcase:

def test():
    local('echo TEST')

def test_failing():
    env.path = 'foo'
    local('echo TEST')

Output:

$ fab test
[localhost] local: echo TEST
TEST

Done.

$ fab test_failing
[localhost] local: echo TEST

Done.

Note the missing output in the second case.

As far as I understood, env.path only affects run/sudo commands, or am I getting something wrong?

OS: Windows 7
fabric Version: 1.3.7

[bitprophet]

Looks like the docs are inaccurate -- local does call the internal subroutine which inserts shell env vars before the command, and part of that is honoring env.path.

This is the first time I recall this coming up, though I think it may be Windows' "fault" in the sense that the shell env var stuff is a Unix/POSIX convention and is probably not valid for Windows shells. What your failing example is invoking locally, and you can verify this with --show=debug, is PATH=foo echo TEST (versus simply echo TEST.)

For now I'd prefer to update the docs to be accurate, instead of changing the behavior, as others may be relying on the behavior as implemented (despite the doc inaccuracy.)

In your case, hopefully there's a way you can limit the env.path modification to only the places you need it, or conversely, wrap local calls with with settings(path=''):.