The environment PATH while running inside WSL vs. running via bash -c differs

[freeman42x]

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.16299.19]

Problem: the environment PATH while running inside WSL vs. running via bash -c differs.

In WSL:

neo@razvan-pc:~$ echo $PATH$
/home/neo/.nix-profile/bin:/home/neo/.nix-profile/sbin:/home/neo/bin:/home/neo/.local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games:windows paths following$

Via bash -c:

K:\Sources\haskell-ide-engine>bash -c "echo $PATH$"
/bin/bash: -c: line 0: syntax error near unexpected token `('
/bin/bash: -c: line 0: `echo /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games:/mnt/c/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft SDKs/Azure/CLI2/wbin:windows paths following$'

For example /home/neo/.local/bin/ is available under WSL but not under bash -c

I'd expect the paths should be the same or there should be some way to run something equivalent to bash -c so that the environment PATH is the same (at least the Linux bit of the path).

PS: Not sure what is the deal with syntax error near unexpected token ('`

[freeman42x]

Running using bash --login -c allows the programs under that missing path to work:

K:\Sources\haskell-ide-engine>bash --login -c "which hie"
/home/neo/.local/bin/hie

K:\Sources\haskell-ide-engine>bash --login -c "hie"
2017-11-04 18:37:00.8238288 [ThreadId 11] - Setting home directory:/home/neo
2017-11-04 18:37:00.8268949 [ThreadId 11] - run entered for HIE Version 0.1.0.0, Git revision 1aae7c35e86c603d587ce3f3e57460d7a7e40f7a (dirty) (1058 commits) x86_64
2017-11-04 18:37:00.8314206 [ThreadId 11] - Current directory:/home/neo

But the path is still not echo'ed when running bash --login -c "echo $PATH$":

K:\Sources\haskell-ide-engine>bash --login -c "echo $PATH$"
/bin/bash: -c: line 0: syntax error near unexpected token `('
/bin/bash: -c: line 0: `echo /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games:other windows paths$'

[Biswa96]

Try to use $PATH( not use $PATH$).

[freeman42x]

@Biswa96 They both seem to work the same under WSL.
Under windows they both print the error: /bin/bash: -c: line 0: syntax error near unexpected token ('`

[therealkenc]

#2196 #2531 #2383 et al.

bash -c "echo \"$PATH\""

[freeman42x]

@therealkenc why does echoing the path via bash -c require quotes but it does not require quotes and runs just fine when called directly through WSL?

[therealkenc]

For the same reason the following does the same thing on Real Linux. Because it is a syntax error.

export FOO="hello ("
ssh localhost "echo $FOO"

[freeman42x]

@therealkenc if it is a syntax error why does echo $PATH work fine under WSL?
If it is a syntax error it should NOT work under WSL either.
So there is a WSL compatibility bug is what you are saying?

[freeman42x]

Closing the issue since bash --login -c seems to solve the problem by running the login scripts.

[freeman42x]

@therealkenc So there is a WSL compatibility bug is what you are saying? Ehm, no, it works just fine on Real Linux also:

[root@nixos:/home/neo]# echo $PATH
/home/neo/bin:/run/wrappers/bin:/home/neo/.local/bin:/etc/per-user-pkgs/neo/bin:/home/neo/.nix-profile/bin:/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin:/run/current-system/sw/bin

Both on root and non-root.

[therealkenc]

why does echo $PATH work fine under WSL?

Because that is not a script with a syntax error at line 0. $PATH has already been expanded. Even simpler from Real Linux:

~$ export FOO="hello ("
~$ bash -c "echo $FOO"

Or even just:

~$ echo hello (

[freeman42x]

@therealkenc Ok, I understand now, bash is a command usable from WSL/Linux also and that is the way expansion works. Thank you