How to Execute Built-in Linux Commands from Go Programs?

Executing Built-In Linux Commands from Go Programs

Attempting to execute shell commands within Go programs may encounter issues with built-in commands, which are not found in the $PATH like traditional binaries. This article explores how to execute built-in Linux commands from within Go programs.

In the example provided, executing "command -v foo" directly using exec.Command() fails due to the command being an inbuilt shell function. To handle this, there are several approaches:

exec.LookPath

Native Go support for finding built-in commands is available through exec.LookPath. This function searches for an executable in the system's PATH and returns its full path if found. Once located, you can use this path to execute the command.

exec.Command with Shell Wrapper

When direct execution is not feasible, you can utilize the system's shell to execute built-in commands. This can be achieved by wrapping the command in a shell command, such as:

exec.Command("/bin/bash", "-c", "command -v foo")

Here, the "/bin/bash -c" wrapper instructs the system to execute the command within a shell, making built-in commands accessible.

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