On Fri, Jun 04, 2004 at 01:59:19PM -0600, Bob Proulx wrote: > On an ia64 machine running Bdale's ia64 kernel build of linux 2.4.19 > and bash 2.05b-2woody3: > > $ ./hppa/executable ; echo $? > -bash: ./hppa/executable: cannot execute binary file > 126 > > All well and good and expected. But the following is different: > > $ ./ia32/executable ; echo $? > 127 > > There is no message. Shouldn't this produce a similar error to the > one above? Note that I do not have an emulation layer installed.
Right, but I bet you have CONFIG_IA32_SUPPORT turned on. So the code path is rather different (see fs/exec.c:search_binary_handler()). For the PA code, you're getting -ENOEXEC back. For the x86 code, this is a simple matter of not finding the dynamic loader / libs required for this executable. I don't know why bash isn't printing an error message for this case -- possibly stracing might help? > Any hints on how to improve this situation? An error message in > addition to the return code would be good. Yes there is an error > code. But lack of a message from bash is definitely confusing to the > typical user. > > Of course if the emulation layer is installed then things run fine. > But that is not always appropriate. > > Thanks > Bob -- "Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception." -- Mark Twain
