I have multiple .gz files in a directory (2 or more), with at least one file missing the end of file marker. Our C# process is unable to read the file with missing end of file, but since they are coming from a third party we do not have control over how they are created.
As such, we've been running the following Linux command manually:
cat file1.gz file2.gz > newFile.gz
In order to automate this, I am looking for a way to leverage the Process functionality in C# to trigger the same command, but this would only be available in Cygwin or some other Linux shell. In my example, I'm using git bash but it could be Powershell or Cygwin or any other available Linux shell that runs on a Windows box.
The following code does not fail, but it does not work as expected. I am wondering if anyone has recommendations about how to do this or any suggestions on a different approach to consider?
Assume that the working directory is set and initialized successfully, so the files exist where the process is run from.
Process bashProcess = new Process();
bashProcess.StartInfo.FileName = #"..\Programs\Git\git-bash.exe";
bashProcess.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
bashProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardInput = true;
bashProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
bashProcess.Start();
bashProcess.StandardInput.WriteLine("cat file1.gz file2.gz > newFile.gz");
bashProcess.StandardInput.WriteLine("exit");
bashProcess.StandardInput.Flush();
.
.
.
bashProcess.WaitForExit();
My expectation is that newFile.gz is created
I was able to find a solution to my problem using a DOS command, and spawning a cmd Process from CSharp.
My code now looks like this, avoids having to launch a linux-based shell from Windows, and the copy command in windows does the same thing as cat:
Process proc = new Process();
proc.EnableRaisingEvents = false;
proc.StartInfo.FileName = "cmd";
proc.StartInfo.Arguments = #"/C pushd \\server\folder && copy *.txt.gz /b
combined.gz";
proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
proc.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
proc.Start();
proc.WaitForExit();
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(2000);
string line = proc.StandardOutput.ReadLine();
while (line != null)
{
output.Append(line);
line = proc.StandardOutput.ReadLine();
}
Envrionment: .Net 2.0, Windows 2003, 64bit
I am trying to move the website from old server to new server, and below code is not working anymore after moving the codes:
System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo psi = new
System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo("cmd.exe");
psi.UseShellExecute = false;
psi.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
psi.RedirectStandardInput = true;
psi.RedirectStandardError = true;
// Start the process
System.Diagnostics.Process proc = System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(psi);
System.IO.StreamReader strm = proc.StandardError;
System.IO.StreamReader sOut = proc.StandardOutput;
// Attach the in for writing
System.IO.StreamWriter sIn = proc.StandardInput;
sIn.WriteLine(exec);
strm.Close();
sIn.WriteLine("EXIT");
proc.Close();
// Read the sOut to a string.
string results = sOut.ReadToEnd().Trim();
// Close the io Streams;
sIn.Close();
sOut.Close();
It seems as the system does not allow to run none of .exe. The code was working properly on previous server, so I am guessing it is some types of system config issue. I found similar issue on here: Foo.cmd won't output lines in process (on website)
but I did not understand the part "create a new user with privileges to execute batch scripts and select that user as the AppPool user in IIS".I know how to create a new user, but was not able to figure out the way giving a permission to the user to execute .exe or batch files.
Any advice would be helpful.
Thank you,
It could be a .NET Trust level on the new server. Try setting the Trust level in IIS manager to "Full" for that application.
I am running one batch file every few seconds to do timesync with server using following code:
Process process = new Process();
process.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System);
process.StartInfo.FileName = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System), "cmd.exe");
process.StartInfo.Arguments = #"/C C:\TimeSync.bat";
process.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
process.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
process.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Minimized;
process.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
process.StartInfo.UserName = "username";
SecureString pwd = new SecureString();
Char[] pwdCharacters = "password".ToCharArray();
foreach (char t in pwdCharacters)
{
pwd.AppendChar(t);
}
process.StartInfo.Password = pwd;
process.Start();
string output = process.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
The problem is it flashes the command windows on the screen which I don't want. How can I prevent that?
One behavior I have seen is if I run the same code with UseShellExecute = true and don't provide username and password then the command window doesn't flash.
So basically I want to run .bat file using c# code as different user silently.
Because you are passing a user name and password, the CreateNoWindow parameters are not respected. This is a feature (i.e. bug) in windows. Here's the five year old connect details:
http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/98476/cmd-windows-shows-using-process-with-createnowindow-when-using-username-password-option
Process.Start() calls advapi32.dll's
CreateProcessWithLogonW in the event
that a user supplies a username and
password, and CreateProcessWithLogonW
always opens a new window.
Unfortunately, there is no workaround
for this behavior
An excellent overview of the create no window option is given here:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jmstall/archive/2006/09/28/createnowindow.aspx
which also points out errors in the msdn documentation on this topic.
And there's a very good overview in this stackoverflow answer:
How to hide cmd window while running a batch file?
In the end, I think you want to create a separate little app that you call out to only once, and it runs the whole time, as the escalated user. It can then perform the time sync as often as you want, in the same manner as you've described above, but without having to specify username and password. Thus there will only be one 'flash' of a console window for the entire duration of the application.
Hope this helps
lb
Change your line:
process.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Minimized;
to
process.StartInfo.WindowStyle =
ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
That will hide the window and never show it.
Hope that helps!
Phil
Did you try to just specify:
process.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow=true;
?
You could use impersonation. I've written an impersonation class that implements the IDisposable interface and is rather straightforward to use, I hope.
I'm trying to run a Jscript task from a C# console application.
The Jscipt file is not mine so I can't change it. The script moves some files and this is what is causing the issues.
When I run the script manually, i.e. form the shell it executes correctly. When I try and run the script from my console application the bulk of the process runs but I get a ":Error = Permission denied" error when it tries to move the files.
I've tried every permutation of the Diagnostics.Process class that I can think of but I've had no luck.
My current code:
Process process = new Process();
process.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName((string)path);
process.StartInfo.FileName = #"cmd.exe";
process.StartInfo.Arguments = "/C " + (string)path;
process.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
process.StartInfo.Verb = "runas";
process.StartInfo.LoadUserProfile = true;
process.StartInfo.Domain = "admin";
process.StartInfo.UserName = #"cardax_sync_test";
process.StartInfo.Password = GetSecureString("abc123");
process.Start();
process.WaitForExit();
Any ideas?
Thanx
Rookie Mistake!
I forgot to close the text reader that creates one of the input files for the jscript.
I'll submit this question for deletion when it get's old enough. Don't want more useless info clogging up the net!
I have a service that sometimes calls a batch file. The batch file takes 5-10 seconds to execute:
System.Diagnostics.Process proc = new System.Diagnostics.Process(); // Declare New Process
proc.StartInfo.FileName = fileName;
proc.StartInfo.WindowStyle = System.Diagnostics.ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
proc.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
proc.Start();
proc.WaitForExit();
The file does exist and the code works when I run the same code in-console. However when it runs inside the service, it hangs up at WaitForExit(). I have to kill the batch file from the Process in order to continue. (I am certain the file exists, as I can see it in the processes list.)
How can I fix this hang-up?
Update #1:
Kevin's code allows me to get output. One of my batch files is still hanging.
"C:\EnterpriseDB\Postgres\8.3\bin\pg_dump.exe" -i -h localhost -p 5432 -U postgres -F p -a -D -v -f "c:\backupcasecocher\backupdateevent2008.sql" -t "\"public\".\"dateevent\"" "DbTest"
The other batch file is:
"C:\EnterpriseDB\Postgres\8.3\bin\vacuumdb.exe" -U postgres -d DbTest
I have checked the path and the postgresql path is fine. The output directory does exist and still works outside the service. Any ideas?
Update #2:
Instead of the path of the batch file, I wrote the "C:\EnterpriseDB\Postgres\8.3\bin\pg_dump.exe" for the proc.StartInfo.FileName and added all parameters to proc.StartInfo.Arguments. The results are unchanged, but I see the pg_dump.exe in the process window. Again this only happens inside the service.
Update #3:
I have run the service with a user in the administrator group, to no avail. I restored null for the service's username and password
Update #4:
I created a simple service to write a trace in the event log and execute a batch file that contains "dir" in it. It will now hang at proc.Start(); - I tried changing the Account from LocalSystem to User and I set the admnistrator user and password, still nothing.
Here is what i use to execute batch files:
proc.StartInfo.FileName = target;
proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
proc.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
proc.Start();
proc.WaitForExit
(
(timeout <= 0)
? int.MaxValue : timeout * NO_MILLISECONDS_IN_A_SECOND *
NO_SECONDS_IN_A_MINUTE
);
errorMessage = proc.StandardError.ReadToEnd();
proc.WaitForExit();
outputMessage = proc.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
proc.WaitForExit();
I don't know if that will do the trick for you, but I don't have the problem of it hanging.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Diagnostics;
namespace VG
{
class VGe
{
[STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Process proc = null;
try
{
string targetDir = string.Format(#"D:\adapters\setup");//this is where mybatch.bat lies
proc = new Process();
proc.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = targetDir;
proc.StartInfo.FileName = "mybatch.bat";
proc.StartInfo.Arguments = string.Format("10");//this is argument
proc.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = false;
proc.Start();
proc.WaitForExit();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Console.WriteLine("Exception Occurred :{0},{1}", ex.Message,ex.StackTrace.ToString());
}
}
}
}
string targetDir = string.Format(#"D:\");//PATH
proc = new Process();
proc.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = targetDir;
proc.StartInfo.FileName = "GetFiles.bat";
proc.StartInfo.Arguments = string.Format("10");//argument
proc.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = false;
proc.Start();
proc.WaitForExit();
Tested,works clear.
What does the batch file do? Are you certain the process is getting launched with enough privs to execute the batch file? Services can be limited in what they are allowed to do.
Also make sure if you are doing something like usin the copy command to overwrite a file that you do something like:
echo Y | copy foo.log c:\backup\
Also, make sure you are using full paths for the batch commands, etc. If the batch file is launching a GUI app in some sort of "Console" mode, that may be an issue too. Remember, services don't have a "Desktop" (unless you enable the "interact with desktop") to draw any kind of windows or message boxes to. In your program, you might want to open the stdout and stderr pipes and read from them during execution in case you are getting any error messages or anything.
WebServices are probably executing as the IUSR account, or the anonymous account, which ever, so that might be an issue for you. If it works when you run it in console, that's just the first step. :)
I don't recall if System.Diagnostics. are available only in debug or not. Probably not, but some of them might be. I'll have to check up on that for ya.
Hope this gives you some ideas.
Larry
pg_dump.exe is probably prompting for user input. Does this database require authentication? Are you relying on any ENVIRONMENT variables that won't be present for the service? I don't know pg_dump but what are the other possible reasons it would prompt for input?
The next step I would take is to fire up the debugger, and see if you can tell what the program is waiting on. If you are expierenced at debugging in assembly, you may be able to get an IDEA of what's happening using tools like ProcExp, FileMon, etc.
Being a windows SERVICE, and not a web service, makes quite a bit of difference. Anyways, have you tried my suggestion of setting the "Allow Service to interact with desktop"?
If you are desperate, you might try launching cmd.exe instead of your batch file. Then, using the cmd.exe's cmd line parameters, you can have IT start the batch file. This would probably give you a cmd prompt window to view the actual output, if you turn on the interact with desktop.
For complete help on cmd.exe, just type cmd /? at any command prompt.
Larry
Here is the solution. The solution is not clear because I have changed so many time the code and now it's working!
I have tried to use a Account of User, and it's not what worked. Use LocalSystem. Here is the code that execute, mostly what Kevin gave me.
System.Diagnostics.Process proc = new System.Diagnostics.Process();
proc.StartInfo.FileName = fileName;
proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
proc.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
proc.Start();
proc.WaitForExit();
output1 = proc.StandardError.ReadToEnd();
proc.WaitForExit();
output2 = proc.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
proc.WaitForExit();
Thank you all, I'll up-vote everybody and accept Kevin since he helps me since the beginning. Very weird because it works now...
Daok, it looks as if the only thing you changed was the timeout period on the initial WaitForExit(). You need to be VERY careful of that. If something DOES hang your service, it will NEVER return (and well, pretty much work like it has been for you thus far.. heh), but it won't be good for the end users...
Now, perhaps that you know what's causing this to hang, you can debug it further and find the full solution...
That, or spin this off in some thread that you can monitor, and kill if it hangs too long.
Just my 2 cents worth, which usually isn't a whole lot. ;)