Re: Running Password-gorilla on Debian SID after upgraded Debian from Squeeze

[Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com>]

Csanyi Pal wrote:
> Bob Proulx writes:
> > Try running with a clean environment.  The 'env -i' command can do
> > this by starting off a command with a clean environment.
> >
> >   $ env -i PATH=/usr/bin:/bin HOME=$HOME DISPLAY=$DISPLAY password-gorilla
> 
> With this command I can run password-gorilla successfully.
> 
> > If the above works for you (it does for me) then there is a problem
> > with an environment variable.  Find it and fix it and you won't need
> > the environment initialization cleaning anymore.
> 
> I shall find and fix it.

Yeah!  Getting closer to fixing the problem.  Since that is definitely
narrowing in on the problem I will say a few more words about the
envirionment and 'env -i'.

I am sure now that you have an environment variable that is affecting
tclsh and preventing it from operating correctly.  The 'env -i'
initiallizes the environment to an clean empty environment.  But most
programs need at least one or two variables set.  PATH is almost
always required so I always add a reasonable default PATH.  I guessed
at the above that it would need HOME since again most commands expect
to have HOME set to the home directory.  That may or may not be
needed.  And DISPLAY is required because X requires it to find the
display.  So those are pretty much the minimum.

It is also possible that PATH itself is a problem.  In which case you
can keep your normal environment but just modify PATH.  Try this
without the -i option.  That won't initialize to a clean environment
but will simply overwrite PATH.

  $ env PATH=/usr/bin:/bin password-gorilla

That is almost the same as this next using just the shell but without
env.  The difference is that using env is a shell independent and
portable way to ensure that you are running a program instead of an
alias or a shell function.

  $ PATH=/usr/bin:/bin password-gorilla

If those work then the problem is in your PATH variable.  You may be
overriding some component that is not compatible.  If those don't work
then the problem is in some other environment variable.

I have about thirty environment variables set in my environment
without X running and running X adds another twenty.  You will need to
inspect those and try to find the problem.  But at least you know it
is there somewhere.  And then after finding the problem you will then
still need to figure out how to correct it.  Because if you are
running a heavy desktop such as GNOME or KDE then those will be
setting a lot of those variables without your direct control.

Good luck!
Bob