[PATCH] exec.3: Clarify that execvpe uses PATH from the caller, not envp

[PATCH] exec.3: Clarify that execvpe uses PATH from the caller, not envp

[Alejandro Colomar]

From: Josh Triplett <josh@joshtriplett.org>

Checked via the latest glibc source. execvpe calls getenv("PATH") and
searches that; the PATH in envp does not affect the search.

Signed-off-by: Josh Triplett <josh@joshtriplett.org>
Signed-off-by: Alejandro Colomar <alx.manpages@gmail.com>
---
 man3/exec.3 | 7 +++++++
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)

diff --git a/man3/exec.3 b/man3/exec.3
index 3d936d08d..9c5b02b5c 100644
--- a/man3/exec.3
+++ b/man3/exec.3
@@ -146,6 +146,13 @@ a list that includes the directories returned by
 and possibly also the current working directory;
 see NOTES for further details.
 .PP
+.BR execvpe ()
+searches for the program using the value of
+.B PATH
+from the caller's environment, not from the
+.I envp
+argument.
+.PP
 If the specified filename includes a slash character, then
 .B PATH
 is ignored, and the file at the specified pathname is executed.
-- 
2.30.1

Re: [PATCH] exec.3: Clarify that execvpe uses PATH from the caller, not envp

[Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)]

Hi Alex,

On 3/20/21 12:57 AM, Alejandro Colomar wrote:
> From: Josh Triplett <josh@joshtriplett.org>
> 
> Checked via the latest glibc source. execvpe calls getenv("PATH") and
> searches that; the PATH in envp does not affect the search.

Thanks. Patch applied.

Cheers,

Michael

> Signed-off-by: Josh Triplett <josh@joshtriplett.org>
> Signed-off-by: Alejandro Colomar <alx.manpages@gmail.com>
> ---
>  man3/exec.3 | 7 +++++++
>  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/man3/exec.3 b/man3/exec.3
> index 3d936d08d..9c5b02b5c 100644
> --- a/man3/exec.3
> +++ b/man3/exec.3
> @@ -146,6 +146,13 @@ a list that includes the directories returned by
>  and possibly also the current working directory;
>  see NOTES for further details.
>  .PP
> +.BR execvpe ()
> +searches for the program using the value of
> +.B PATH
> +from the caller's environment, not from the
> +.I envp
> +argument.
> +.PP
>  If the specified filename includes a slash character, then
>  .B PATH
>  is ignored, and the file at the specified pathname is executed.
> 


-- 
Michael Kerrisk
Linux man-pages maintainer; http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
Linux/UNIX System Programming Training: http://man7.org/training/