A step that executes a tool (that was already installed in previous steps) via .NET ProcessStartInfo throws "The system cannot find the file specified"

[jaliyaudagedara]

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I am seeing this weird issue: basically from a step, I am trying to run a dotnet test, that invokes a new Process. In the process, I am trying to execute a tool that was already installed in a previous step in the workflow.

I am getting the error,

  System.AggregateException : One or more errors occurred. 
  (An error occurred trying to start process 'xxxx' with working directory ''. The system cannot find the file specified.)

Installed func (Azure Function Core Tools). Tried func --version and func.exe --version, didn't work.

var appInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("func", $"--version") { ... }
var appInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("func.exe", $"--version") { ... }

Installed npm. Tried npm --version, didn't work.

var appInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("npm", $"--version") { ... }

Then tried this powershell.exe echo 'Hello World', and it worked.

var appInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("powershell.exe", $"echo 'Hello World'") { ... }

Since I have already installed the tool on the host, shouldn't it be available? Not sure whether this a restriction, if it is, I am sorry I couldn't find any documentation.

Already raised an issue with .NET team, not sure whether it belongs there though.
.NET Test invoking an Azure Function: An error occurred trying to start process 'func' with working directory. The system cannot find the file specified

[thisisthetechie]

Since I have already installed the tool on the host, shouldn't it be available?

When you say you've already installed the tool on the host, which host are you referring to? When you run GitHub Actions, they are running within a runner (either hosted by GitHub or self-hosted by yourself).

When you are running dotnet test it is running on the runner you specified in a workspace defined by your job. This is where my question comes from.

Where that executable was installed might not be obvious, and if you installed it within a previous job then it's likely the current job won't have access to it (because it could be a different runner, and will be a different workspace).

[jaliyaudagedara]

@thisisthetechie

I am sorry, it's a hosted runner. In the workflow, I have a single job (same runner) with many steps. Before the step where the tool xxx is being invoked, tool xxx is installed using npm by another step. When I have a script step to execute xxx, it's working. But it's failing to execute through a .NET application code.

[jaliyaudagedara]

Got past the issue by changing the application code,

var appInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("powershell.exe", $"xxx --arg1 --arg2") { ... }

// instead of
// var appInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("xxx ", $"--arg1 --arg2") { ... }

actions/setup-dotnet#511 (comment)

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