CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++qtuser-interfacewidgetenvironment-variables
mo_al_
mo_al_

Reputation: 686

How to set a Qt application to use the actual environment variables of a unix-like system?

I'm creating a Qt gui application using a library which searches the PATH environment variable for certain executables, namely compilers, make and cmake. The problem is that std::getenv("PATH") returns something different in the gui and certain executables are missed. I've tried to use the QProcessEnvironment class to the set the PATH, however, the same problem arises. I can set it to specific paths in my machine but it would be great if it could get the PATH of any machine the application is deployed to. Strangely if I start the gui using the command-line, everything works out fine! Although I find it unreasonable to ask users to open the gui using the command line.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1019

Answers (1)

Kuba hasn't forgotten Monica
Kuba hasn't forgotten Monica

Reputation: 98425

This problem has nothing to do with Qt. You've set the PATH using shell initialization scripts and such, in your own user folder. It'd be a terribly bad idea for the graphical shell to use that path, as a mistake in your shell profile would potentially make the entire desktop non-functional. Of course it works from the command line, since your shell profiles take effect then.

You could, as a user configuration option, extract the shell PATH by running the equivalent of user's $SHELL -c 'echo $PATH', and processing the result.

Otherwise, you'll have to defer to what's customary on the platform, and consult package managers if needed. Different package systems tend to install these tools in different directories, but there is just a few common ones. I presume it'd be enough to cover Ubuntu, RedHat, macports and homebrew, and make sure that you check in "pure" FHS (Filesystem Hierarchy Standard) locations as well.

Upvotes: 1

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