java.io.IOException: Cannot run program "...": java.io.IOException: error=2, No such file or directory

Question

I need to execute an external program from Java (to convert a fodt file to pdf using libreoffice, it so happens) I know the precise command-line I need for the program:

/usr/bin/libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0/ /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0/35_invoice.fodt

and that works perfectly from the command line. But it does not work in Java using a ProcessBuilder:

java.io.IOException: Cannot run program "/usr/bin/libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0 /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0/35_invoice.fodt": java.io.IOException: error=2, No such file or directory

I tried some different approaches without success. Here is a sample of the last test

        List<String> command = new ArrayList<String>();
        command.add("/usr/bin/libreoffice");
        command.add("--headless");
        command.add("--convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir " + getDestinationDirectory(order) + " " + getInvoiceFilename() + ".fodt");
  
        ProcessBuilder builder = new ProcessBuilder(command);

        Process process = null;
        try {
            process = builder.start();
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            Logger.getLogger(Documents.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        InputStream is = process.getInputStream();
        InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(is);
        BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(isr);
        String line;
        try {
            while ((line = br.readLine()) != null) {
                System.out.println(line);
            }
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            Logger.getLogger(Documents.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
        System.out.println("Program terminated!");

This error is typical when file or the directory you try to move ou do something doesn't exists. Your command, problably is correct, but, your file or path didn't arrive the other side (path, for example). — Vinicius Lima
– Vinicius Lima, Commented May 10, 2013 at 12:51

Raedwald · Accepted Answer · 2020-10-12 13:52:48Z

6

The ProcessBuilder constructors require each argument of the external program to be separate (in the form of an array or List of Strings). The first exception message you got,

Cannot run program "/usr/bin/libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0 /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0/35_invoice.fodt"

is not complaining that it can find a program named /usr/bin/libreoffice. It is complaining that it can not find a program with the very long and peculiar name "/usr/bin/libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0 /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0/35_invoice.fodt", because you concatenated the arguments into one String.

Instead of

command.add("--convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir " + getDestinationDirectory(order) + " " + getInvoiceFilename() + ".fodt")

and such like, split each of the arguments into its own call to List.add

command.add("--convert-to");
command.add("pdf:writer_pdf_Export");

command.add("--outdir");
command.add(getDestinationDirectory(order).toString());

command.add(getInvoiceFilename() + ".fodt");

Note that there are no apostrophes around "writer_pdf_Export" since those are shell meta-characters and are not required when you're constructing an array to pass to exec without an intermediating shell.

edited Oct 12, 2020 at 13:52

Raedwald

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answered May 10, 2013 at 12:49

Mike Samuel

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3 Comments

Azathoth Over a year ago

I do not have any filters/writer_pdf_Export.xcu on my system but if I type thath command directly into a shell it works

Azathoth Over a year ago

Splitting in two (command.add("--convert-to"); command.add("pdf:writer_pdf_Export");) results in *Unknown option: --outdir *

Mike Samuel Over a year ago

@Azathoth, It sounds like we're making progress since its complaining about a later parameter. Have you tried splitting every argument into its own add as I suggested above? Maybe updating your question with your current code would make diagnosis easier.

xagyg · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-10 13:34:42Z

1

Try this (keep it simple) ...

Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("/usr/bin/libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir "+ getDestinationDirectory(order)+" "+getInvoiceFilename()+".fodt");

Fully ...

    Process process = null;
    try {
            process = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("/usr/bin/libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf:'writer_pdf_Export' --outdir "+ getDestinationDirectory(order)+" "+getInvoiceFilename()+".fodt");
    } catch (IOException ex) {
        Logger.getLogger(Documents.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    }
    BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(process.getInputStream()));
    String line;
    try {
        while ((line = br.readLine()) != null) {
            System.out.println(line);
        }
    } catch (IOException ex) {
        Logger.getLogger(Documents.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
    }
    br.close();
    System.out.println("Program terminated!");

edited May 10, 2013 at 13:34

answered May 10, 2013 at 12:53

xagyg

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17 Comments

Azathoth Over a year ago

This is one of the first test made: no error, no outpu and most of all ... no pdf

xagyg Over a year ago

It works from the command line? I found this bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=44486

xagyg Over a year ago

Do you get the same error when you read both the process InputStream and the process ErrorStream? See getInputStream and getErrorStream.

xagyg Over a year ago

Can you cd to here /home/develop/tomcat/mf/ROOT/private/docs/0? What are the permission on the directory? ... and the output file?

Azathoth Over a year ago

Yes, via shell works like a charm. Removed the underscores but nothing changes. My user has r/w permissions, yes. Actually this project runs locally with netbeans+tomcat and those belongs to the same user

|

demongolem · Accepted Answer · 2014-04-07 13:08:30Z

1

I have tried every solution proposed in this thread and it does not work.

In my app (java webapp using TOMCAT in linux) it only works to create a shell script and execute the script. But you have to put the absolute path in the script, if not, it does not work ($HOME does not work). Besides, you can pass it arguments.

Example:

Runtime.getRuntime().exec("/home/user/myscript.sh param1");

edited Apr 7, 2014 at 13:08

demongolem

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answered Feb 12, 2014 at 18:24

er_benji

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Comments

navaltiger · Accepted Answer · 2023-04-27 08:31:55Z

0

ProcessBuilder can be erratic sometimes with long command (executable path with lot of arguments.). What you can do is,

Assume your command string is String cmdString = "executableFilePath -param1 -param2"

Convert this to map

List cmdMap = Arrays.asList(cmdString.split(" "));

Pass this cmdMap to ProcessBuilder.

answered Apr 27, 2023 at 8:31

navaltiger

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