windows-rs CreateProcessW with EXTENDED_STARTUPINFO_PRESENT

Yuwei Ba 1

I'm using the Rust binding windows-rs to call Win32 APIs to create processes with ConPty.

However the CreateProcessW can only run "some" programs, for example, "notepad.exe",

If I ran "cmd.exe", "powershell.exe", "ping.exe", the program won't start and exit with code: exitcode: 3221225794.

I have a repro at: https://github.com/ibigbug/windows-rs-CreateProcessW

To run different programs, change https://github.com/ibigbug/windows-rs-CreateProcessW/blob/9ba54f27fdbefd07aa8fd03fed96373aeca046f6/src/main.rs#L131

and "cargo r"

related Github issue: https://github.com/microsoft/windows-rs/issues/1121

RLWA32 43,306 Reputation points

2021-09-12T17:22:39.943+00:00

There is a Microsoft sample that uses pseudoconsoles with ping.exe at https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/tree/main/samples/ConPTY/EchoCon.

You might want to try converting that to use the Rust binding as a test of your work.
Yuwei Ba 1 Reputation point

2021-09-12T17:41:29.187+00:00

Thanks for the reply

If you read the related Github Issue before writing you'll see this is what I'm doing.

I have no problem using the APIs as I mentioned it does work with "notepad.exe".

My question is why is "ping.exe" not working ?
RLWA32 43,306 Reputation points

2021-09-12T17:43:09.65+00:00

Notepad is a windows desktop application (gui application) and does not use any console input/output.

WithinRafael 326

Sample doesn't compile:

thread::spawn(move || loop {
             ------- value moved into closure here
   let mut buffer = [0u8; 1024];
   match file_out.read(&mut buffer) {
         -------- variable moved due to use in closure

thread::spawn(move || loop {
             ^^^^^^^ value used here after move
   let mut buffer = [0u8; 1024];
   match file_out.read(&mut buffer) {
         -------- use occurs due to use in closure

Yuwei Ba 1 Reputation point

2021-09-12T17:50:45.46+00:00

Sorry fixed. I added a dup code section in from copy&paste
Yuwei Ba 1 Reputation point

2021-09-12T19:06:29.987+00:00

Thanks, good to know that GUI applications doesn't have the stdout/stderr concept at all(?)
RLWA32 43,306 Reputation points

2021-09-12T19:13:34.037+00:00

Nope, Windows does not create a console for gui applications and the CRT does not initialize the stdout, stderr, stdin handles when the GUI application starts.

If you wanted to use a console with a windows gui application you would use the Windows APi function allocconsole and then you would need to initialize the CRT handles with your own code.

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windows-rs CreateProcessW with EXTENDED_STARTUPINFO_PRESENT