Thread Subject:

Running shell command using system

Hi all,

I have the following problem: I would like to run a shell command from within Matlab but I just receive the error "No such file or directory".

I did the following:
in the MacOS terminal (bash): git --> runs the executable
in Matlab: system('git') gives the error

If I change the working directory in Matlab to the directory of the executable (/usr/local/git/bin), the following command works !./git.
Why do I have to change the working directory to the directory of the executable? Is there a way around this?

Thanks in advance,
Philipp

On 11-01-07 04:52 AM, Philipp Steffen wrote:

> I have the following problem: I would like to run a shell command from within
> Matlab but I just receive the error "No such file or directory".
>
> I did the following: in the MacOS terminal (bash): git --> runs the executable
> in Matlab: system('git') gives the error
>
> If I change the working directory in Matlab to the directory of the executable
> (/usr/local/git/bin), the following command works !./git.
> Why do I have to change the working directory to the directory of the
> executable? Is there a way around this?
> Thanks in advance,

Add /usr/local/git/bin to your system path. That would be your PATH
environment variable, which you can alter outside of Matlab, or which you can
alter using getenv('PATH') and putenv('PATH', newvalue)

Walter Roberson <roberson@hushmail.com> wrote in message <ig7jt5$56s$2@nrc-news.nrc.ca>...
> On 11-01-07 04:52 AM, Philipp Steffen wrote:
>
> > I have the following problem: I would like to run a shell command from within
> > Matlab but I just receive the error "No such file or directory".
> >
> > I did the following: in the MacOS terminal (bash): git --> runs the executable
> > in Matlab: system('git') gives the error
> >
> > If I change the working directory in Matlab to the directory of the executable
> > (/usr/local/git/bin), the following command works !./git.
> > Why do I have to change the working directory to the directory of the
> > executable? Is there a way around this?
> > Thanks in advance,
>
> Add /usr/local/git/bin to your system path. That would be your PATH
> environment variable, which you can alter outside of Matlab, or which you can
> alter using getenv('PATH') and putenv('PATH', newvalue)

Alternatively, you can specify the complete pathname in the MATLAB command line:

>> system('/usr/local/bin/git')

(Coincidentally, I am just starting to explore using git myself.)

Hi Walter, hi Cyclist,

thanks for your help. I did not know that I can alter the system PATH from within MATLAB. The easiest way for me though is to use the full path in system().
Best,
Philipp

"the cyclist" wrote in message <igiig5$sbj$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> Walter Roberson <roberson@hushmail.com> wrote in message <ig7jt5$56s$2@nrc-news.nrc.ca>...
> > On 11-01-07 04:52 AM, Philipp Steffen wrote:
> >
> > > I have the following problem: I would like to run a shell command from within
> > > Matlab but I just receive the error "No such file or directory".
> > >
> > > I did the following: in the MacOS terminal (bash): git --> runs the executable
> > > in Matlab: system('git') gives the error
> > >
> > > If I change the working directory in Matlab to the directory of the executable
> > > (/usr/local/git/bin), the following command works !./git.
> > > Why do I have to change the working directory to the directory of the
> > > executable? Is there a way around this?
> > > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > Add /usr/local/git/bin to your system path. That would be your PATH
> > environment variable, which you can alter outside of Matlab, or which you can
> > alter using getenv('PATH') and putenv('PATH', newvalue)
>
> Alternatively, you can specify the complete pathname in the MATLAB command line:
>
> >> system('/usr/local/bin/git')
>
> (Coincidentally, I am just starting to explore using git myself.)

"Philipp Steffen" wrote in message <igijv3$2c4$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> Hi Walter, hi Cyclist,
>
> thanks for your help. I did not know that I can alter the system PATH from within MATLAB. The easiest way for me though is to use the full path in system().

Possibly the best long-term solution is to add the following to your startup.m file, which will set the path at the beginning of each MATLAB session:

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% Add directories to the system path (primarily to get "git" to work?)
setenv('PATH', [getenv('PATH') ':/usr/local/bin'])
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%


[Note that Walter wrote the command as "putenv"; I think it is supposed to be "setenv". At least, that's what works for me.]

On Jan 11, 5:31 pm, "the cyclist" <thecycl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "Philipp Steffen" wrote in message <igijv3$2c...@fred.mathworks.com>...
> > Hi Walter, hi Cyclist,
>
> > thanks for your help. I did not know that I can alter the system PATH from within MATLAB. The easiest way for me though is to use the full path in system().
>
> Possibly the best long-term solution is to add the following to your startup.m file, which will set the path at the beginning of each MATLAB session:
>
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> % Add directories to the system path (primarily to get "git" to work?)
> setenv('PATH', [getenv('PATH') ':/usr/local/bin'])
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>
> [Note that Walter wrote the command as "putenv"; I think it is supposed to be "setenv".  At least, that's what works for me.]

Been looking all night for something that would actually work. I was
having trouble using ghostscript (gs) through the system command on my
macbook. This worked perfectly. Thank you so much.

"Philipp Steffen" wrote in message <ig6r8l$phk$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> Hi all,
>
> I have the following problem: I would like to run a shell command from within Matlab but I just receive the error "No such file or directory".
>
> I did the following:
> in the MacOS terminal (bash): git --> runs the executable
> in Matlab: system('git') gives the error
>
> If I change the working directory in Matlab to the directory of the executable (/usr/local/git/bin), the following command works !./git.
> Why do I have to change the working directory to the directory of the executable? Is there a way around this?
>

> Thanks in advance,
> Philipp
Hi. I think a better way is use addpath(pwd) command in top of your code:
cd /usr/local/git/bin;
     addpath(pwd);