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gemini-cli - 💡(How to fix) Fix run_shell_command calls fail with "execvp(3) failed.: Permission denied" [1 participants]

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google-gemini/gemini-cli#25933•Fetched 2026-04-25 06:22:10
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Code Example

> /about
 About Gemini CLI                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           │
│                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            │
│ CLI Version                                                                             0.39.1                                                                                                                                                             │
│ Git Commit                                                                              4d73f3413                                                                                                                                                          │
│ Model                                                                                   Auto (Gemini 3)                                                                                                                                                    │
│ Sandbox                                                                                 no sandbox                                                                                                                                                         │
│ OS                                                                                      linux                                                                                                                                                              │
│ Auth Method                                                                             gemini-api-key
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

What happened?

I just installed v0.39.1 on my RHEL8 (also tried RHEL9 host) and while it mostly works, I cannot run external commands at all. They all fail with execvp(3) failed.: Permission denied.

I thought that maybe having it installed in my NFS-based home dir was the issue, but installing in a local temp directory did not change anything.

I wish I could provide more information, but even in --debug the console pretty has the same information. Other tools like Codex or Claude have no problems. I tried both with Node 22.22.2 and 25.9.0.

What did you expect to happen?

Simple things like "echo Hello" surface the issue.

Client information

<details> <summary>Client Information</summary>

Run gemini to enter the interactive CLI, then run the /about command.

> /about
 About Gemini CLI                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           │
│                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            │
│ CLI Version                                                                             0.39.1                                                                                                                                                             │
│ Git Commit                                                                              4d73f3413                                                                                                                                                          │
│ Model                                                                                   Auto (Gemini 3)                                                                                                                                                    │
│ Sandbox                                                                                 no sandbox                                                                                                                                                         │
│ OS                                                                                      linux                                                                                                                                                              │
│ Auth Method                                                                             gemini-api-key
</details>

Login information

I am using Vertex through a custom URL

Anything else we need to know?

No response

extent analysis

TL;DR

The issue is likely due to a permission issue with the installation or execution of external commands, and checking the file system permissions and ownership may help resolve the issue.

Guidance

  • Verify the file system permissions and ownership of the installation directory and the external commands to ensure they are executable by the user running the application.
  • Check the SELinux context of the files and directories involved, as RHEL8 and RHEL9 have SELinux enabled by default, which may be restricting the execution of external commands.
  • Try running the application with elevated privileges or as a different user to see if the issue is related to user permissions.
  • Investigate the execvp(3) failed: Permission denied error further, as it may indicate a specific issue with the system's ability to execute external commands.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue is more related to system configuration and permissions.

Notes

The issue may be specific to the RHEL8 and RHEL9 environments, and the fact that other tools like Codex or Claude work fine suggests that the issue is not with the Node versions being used.

Recommendation

Apply workaround: Check and adjust file system permissions and ownership, and investigate SELinux context, as these are the most likely causes of the issue.

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gemini-cli - 💡(How to fix) Fix run_shell_command calls fail with "execvp(3) failed.: Permission denied" [1 participants]