--test_env=LD_LIBRARY_PATH not passed to tests on MacOS

[benvanik]

I need to manipulate the LD_LIBRARY_PATH used by my test binaries. I tried using --test_env=LD_LIBRARY_PATH and --test_env=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=foo and neither were set in the environment when running the tests. Nor are DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH and most other DYLD_* values. Arbitrary other environment variables are correctly passed (--test_env=FOO=1, etc).

I can't seem to find any code in bazel that is explicitly stripping these, but perhaps I'm missing something. Why is this happening? The docs state that --test_env can be used for this kind of stuff (explicitly listing --test_env=PATH as an example) - why would LD_LIBRARY_PATH be special?

I was able to confirm this with the following:

sh_binary(name = "runner", srcs = ["runner.sh"])
sh_test(name = "dummy", srcs=["runner.sh"])

#!/bin/bash
export
echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH

$ blaze test :dummy --test_env=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/foo --test_env=FOO=1 --run_under=:runner

Output:

...
declare -x FOO="1"
...

LD_LIBRARY_PATH is nowhere in that list and the value is empty.

$ bazel version
Build label: 0.6.1-homebrew
Build target: bazel-out/darwin_x86_64-opt/bin/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelServer_deploy.jar
Build time: Fri Oct 6 02:36:58 2017 (1507257418)
Build timestamp: 1507257418
Build timestamp as int: 1507257418

[thundergolfer]

@benvanik I think we just ran into this same problem. --test_env=LD_LIBRARY_PATH doesnt show up but --test_env=FOO=BAR does.

Did you find a good way to resolve your problem, or do you know why this issue hasn't seen any attention?

[thundergolfer]

@dslomov Hey are you able to give any information on whether this is an actual bug in Bazel?

[thundergolfer]

LD_LIBRARY_PATH is actually present in env on OSTYPE=linux-gnu regardless of whether --test_env=LD_LIBRARY_PATH is passed.

So I would guess that this issue isn't with --test_env, but rather that something is wiping the variable on OSX and not touching it on Linux.

[jmmv]

I don't think this is related, but do you have --incompatible_strict_action_env enabled? Could you also try passing these variables via --action_env?

[thundergolfer]

Related to #6648?

From memory I didn't have that on and remember seeing the issue I linked at the time, and also do remember passing by --action_env as a test which was unsuccessful. Memory's fallible though, so I'd have to check again.

[susinmotion]

The problem does persist with --incompatible_strict_action_env and passing the variables via --action_env.

I poked around a little, and it seems that El Capitan and later strip LD_LIBRARY_PATH/DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH for executables in certain directories, including /bin.
see: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/9233

I'm going to close this as a not-Bazel-related issue, but please comment if there's something we should look into further.