system-console and tcl exec

[Altera_Forum]

I'm using Quartus 11.1 and Windows 7 

There is a difference in system-console's behavior depending on how it is invoked. If I start system-console from a Nios command shell, I can use the tcl exec command, such as exec dir returning my local directory contents. However, if I invoke system-console from either qsys/tools or Eclipse/NiosII and try the same exec, I get error: couldn't execute "dir": no such file or directory  while executing "exec dir"  In this context, exec doesn't seem to understand anything.  The auto_path var is the same for both. What else could be missing or different?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   What else could be missing or different?   --- Quote End ---    The shell where 'exec' gets invoked is probably different.  I'm not sure how to force the correct shell. I also had a similar issue in Modelsim, but never had time to look at it further.  It might be that you need wrap all 'exec' targets in a bash shell with# !/bin/bash at the beginning, to force the use of the correct shell.  However, as I commented, I have not looked into this problem ... but perhaps this comment will help you find the solution.  Cheers, Dave

[Altera_Forum]

does qexec have the same problem?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  does qexec have the same problem?  --- Quote End ---    I'm not sure what you mean - qexec does not show up in the list of available tcl commands:  info commands *exec  only returns exec  ----- post edited here! 17:04 EST --------- in system-console, attemptingpackage require ::quartus::misc to get qexec loaded doesn't work. I've never tried to use quartus packages in system-console, so I don't know if it's even possible or if a different syntax is required.  In the quartus tcl console, I get this trying to use qexec:qexec ls error:while executing error:"qexec ls" ::quartus::misc is shown as a loaded package

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  The shell where 'exec' gets invoked is probably different.  I'm not sure how to force the correct shell. I also had a similar issue in Modelsim, but never had time to look at it further.  It might be that you need wrap all 'exec' targets in a bash shell with# !/bin/bash at the beginning, to force the use of the correct shell.  However, as I commented, I have not looked into this problem ... but perhaps this comment will help you find the solution.  Cheers, Dave  --- Quote End ---    Neither exec bash ./myscript nor exec sh ./myscript gets a good response  myscript has a# !/bin/bash header  (In the working system-console, either syntax is successful)

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   The shell where 'exec' gets invoked is probably different.   --- Quote End ---  According to this:  http://phaseit.net/claird/comp.lang.tcl/fmm.html#exec  Tcl exec does not use a shell.  This link has comments regarding trying to "exec dir". Perhaps they apply to your problem.  Cheers, Dave

[Altera_Forum]

After some more experiments my conclusion is that exec works if system-console is hosted in a bash shell, and not if it's hosted by a native windows shell or windows process (such as Quartus).

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  After some more experiments my conclusion is that exec works if system-console is hosted in a bash shell, and not if it's hosted by a native windows shell or windows process (such as Quartus).  --- Quote End ---    Ok. That was what I was thinking too, however, the comments on the link I posted made me think otherwise.  So the question then becomes, how can you select the shell? I suspect the answer is that the shell is fundamental to the process, since when you launch the application, it inherits the shell. The solution might be to replace system-console with a bash script that starts system-console. That way when you execute system-console from a windows shell, you would actually be executing the script, which in turn executes bash, and then the real system-console application. With that setup, the shell should be bash.  Cheers, Dave