'exec --tty --workdir /missing/path ...' no longer uses exit code 127 #1823
Description
Issue Description
In the past podman exec --workdir /missing/path ... used exit code 127, which is caught by Toolbx to fall back to podman exec --workdir <home-directory>. At some point the error path changed when --tty is present, and it now uses exit code 255, while it behaves as before if --tty is not used.
Would it be possible to restore the previous exit code?
Note that this doesn't impact podman run --workdir /missing/path ..., where the exit code remains the same with and without --tty.
We have tests for this in Toolbx, but, unfortunately the tests run non-interactively and don't use --tty. That's how it didn't get caught earlier.
There's the associated issue that exit codes for --workdir /missing/path are not the same across exec and run, 127 versus 126, and it seems that --workdir /missing/path is abusing the exit codes reserved for problems with the executable. However, these aren't pressing problems for Toolbx.
Steps to reproduce the issue
Steps to reproduce the issue:
Create and start a container:
$ podman create --name foo registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:42 sleep +Inf
c6479c24fa91117e7feb8832d64d15afb465b19e80d293db8ec88315b700686d
$ podman start foo
fooCompare the behaviour of exec with and without the --tty option:
$ podman exec --tty --workdir /var/tmp/toolbx-test-OX06oxCvi6 foo pwd
Error: OCI runtime error: crun: read pipe failed
$ echo "$?"
255
$ podman exec --workdir /var/tmp/toolbx-test-OX06oxCvi6 foo pwd
Error: crun: chdir to `/var/tmp/toolbx-test-OX06oxCvi6`: No such file or directory: OCI runtime attempted to invoke a command that was not found
$ echo "$?"
127Describe the results you received
exec --tty --workdir /missing/path uses exit code 255, and uses 127 if --tty is absent.
Describe the results you expected
exec --tty --workdir /missing/path should use exit code 127, just as when --tty is absent.
podman info output
host:
arch: amd64
buildahVersion: 1.40.1
cgroupControllers:
- cpu
- io
- memory
- pids
cgroupManager: systemd
cgroupVersion: v2
conmon:
package: conmon-2.1.13-1.fc42.x86_64
path: /usr/bin/conmon
version: 'conmon version 2.1.13, commit: '
cpuUtilization:
idlePercent: 99.41
systemPercent: 0.2
userPercent: 0.39
cpus: 16
databaseBackend: sqlite
distribution:
distribution: fedora
variant: workstation
version: "42"
eventLogger: journald
freeLocks: 2046
hostname: topinka
idMappings:
gidmap:
- container_id: 0
host_id: 1000
size: 1
- container_id: 1
host_id: 524288
size: 65536
uidmap:
- container_id: 0
host_id: 1000
size: 1
- container_id: 1
host_id: 524288
size: 65536
kernel: 6.15.4-200.fc42.x86_64
linkmode: dynamic
logDriver: journald
memFree: 21743378432
memTotal: 33543249920
networkBackend: netavark
networkBackendInfo:
backend: netavark
dns:
package: aardvark-dns-1.15.0-1.fc42.x86_64
path: /usr/libexec/podman/aardvark-dns
version: aardvark-dns 1.15.0
package: netavark-1.15.2-1.fc42.x86_64
path: /usr/libexec/podman/netavark
version: netavark 1.15.2
ociRuntime:
name: crun
package: crun-1.22-1.fc42.x86_64
path: /usr/bin/crun
version: |-
crun version 1.22
commit: 4de19b63a85efd9ea8503452179c371181750130
rundir: /run/user/1000/crun
spec: 1.0.0
+SYSTEMD +SELINUX +APPARMOR +CAP +SECCOMP +EBPF +CRIU +LIBKRUN +WASM:wasmedge +YAJL
os: linux
pasta:
executable: /usr/bin/pasta
package: passt-0^20250611.g0293c6f-1.fc42.x86_64
version: |
pasta 0^20250611.g0293c6f-1.fc42.x86_64
Copyright Red Hat
GNU General Public License, version 2 or later
<https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
remoteSocket:
exists: true
path: /run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock
rootlessNetworkCmd: pasta
security:
apparmorEnabled: false
capabilities: CAP_CHOWN,CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE,CAP_FOWNER,CAP_FSETID,CAP_KILL,CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE,CAP_SETFCAP,CAP_SETGID,CAP_SETPCAP,CAP_SETUID,CAP_SYS_CHROOT
rootless: true
seccompEnabled: true
seccompProfilePath: /usr/share/containers/seccomp.json
selinuxEnabled: true
serviceIsRemote: false
slirp4netns:
executable: ""
package: ""
version: ""
swapFree: 8589930496
swapTotal: 8589930496
uptime: 11h 23m 6.00s (Approximately 0.46 days)
variant: ""
plugins:
authorization: null
log:
- k8s-file
- none
- passthrough
- journald
network:
- bridge
- macvlan
- ipvlan
volume:
- local
registries:
search:
- registry.fedoraproject.org
- registry.access.redhat.com
- docker.io
store:
configFile: /home/rishi/.config/containers/storage.conf
containerStore:
number: 2
paused: 0
running: 2
stopped: 0
graphDriverName: overlay
graphOptions: {}
graphRoot: /home/rishi/.local/share/containers/storage
graphRootAllocated: 1695606808576
graphRootUsed: 604253806592
graphStatus:
Backing Filesystem: extfs
Native Overlay Diff: "true"
Supports d_type: "true"
Supports shifting: "false"
Supports volatile: "true"
Using metacopy: "false"
imageCopyTmpDir: /var/tmp
imageStore:
number: 2
runRoot: /run/user/1000/containers
transientStore: false
volumePath: /home/rishi/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes
version:
APIVersion: 5.5.2
BuildOrigin: Fedora Project
Built: 1750723200
BuiltTime: Tue Jun 24 02:00:00 2025
GitCommit: e7d8226745ba07a64b7176a7f128e4ef53225a0e
GoVersion: go1.24.4
Os: linux
OsArch: linux/amd64
Version: 5.5.2Podman in a container
No
Privileged Or Rootless
Rootless
Upstream Latest Release
Yes
Additional environment details
n/a
Additional information
I think this is a regression.