Bundle CLI utility and call it from code

[Sgambe33]

I'm developing a Qt app that requires executing another executable with some arguments. The code I use to call this utility is:

QProcess process;
QString executablePath;
QStringList arguments{"--unpack_raw_blk", "--stdout", "--stdin", "--format", "Json"};

#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
    executablePath = "./wt_ext_cli.exe";
#elif defined(Q_OS_LINUX)
    executablePath = "$APPDIR/usr/bin/wt_ext_cli";
#else
    throw std::runtime_error("Unsupported platform");
#endif

process.start(executablePath, arguments);
if (!process.waitForStarted()) {
    throw std::runtime_error("Failed to start process");
}

On Windows I simply copy the .exe to the release folder and it works. For Linux I tried copying it into the /usr/bin folder and invoking it by both "/usr/bin/wt_ext_cli" and "wt_ext_cli" but still says "Failed to start process". Is there a way to achieve this or I am simply making some errors in the code?

[probonopd]

Construct executablePath like this:

executablePath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() << QString("wt_ext_cli");

This might work for all operating systems, as long as both executables are in the same directory. Also, it is not AppImage specific.

[Sgambe33]

Thanks for the fast reply. Just to be sure, I still need to copy wt_ext_cli into /usr/bin right?

[probonopd]

Sure, copy it to $APPDIR/usr/bin where the main application also is. And deploy its dependencies as well.

[Sgambe33]

Well, it still doesn't work but I think is because the app does not have permission to execute the utility

[Sgambe33]

The solution was referencing the binary as if it was in the same directory and setting binary permissions to execute it:

file(COPY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/wt_ext_cli/wt_ext_cli DESTINATION ${DEPLOY_PREFIX_PATH}/usr/bin FILE_PERMISSIONS OWNER_EXECUTE OWNER_WRITE OWNER_READ)

[probonopd]

Sure, every executable you want to execute needs the executable bit to be set.