> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemexecute.md).

# SystemExecute

Executes a system process/command on the underlying OS.

Returns a struct with the following keys:

{ output : \[ the command output ] error : \[ any errors emitted by the command ] timeout : \[ boolean value as to whether a timeout was reached ] terminated : \[ boolean value as to whether the process was terminated ] pid : the PID of the process }

## Method Signature

```
SystemExecute(name=[string], arguments=[any], timeout=[long], terminateOnTimeout=[boolean], directory=[string], output=[string], error=[string], inheritEnvironment=[boolean], environment=[struct])
```

### Arguments

| Argument             | Type      | Required | Description                                                                                     | Default |
| -------------------- | --------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `name`               | `string`  | `true`   | The process name or binary path ( e.g. bash or /bin/sh )                                        |         |
| `arguments`          | `any`     | `false`  | The process arguments ( e.g. for `java --version` this would be `--version` )                   |         |
| `timeout`            | `long`    | `false`  | The timeout to wait for the command, in seconds ( default unlimited )                           |         |
| `terminateOnTimeout` | `boolean` | `false`  | Whether to terminate the process/command if a timeout is reached                                | `false` |
| `directory`          | `string`  | `false`  | A working directory to execute the command from                                                 |         |
| `output`             | `string`  | `false`  |                                                                                                 |         |
| `error`              | `string`  | `false`  | An optional file path to write errors to                                                        |         |
| `inheritEnvironment` | `boolean` | `false`  | Whether to inherit the parent process environment variables. Defaults to true.                  | `true`  |
| `environment`        | `struct`  | `false`  | A struct of environment variables to pass to the process. Merged in after the inherit decision. | `{}`    |

## Examples

### Execute a system command

```java
result = systemExecute( "echo hello" );
writeOutput( result.output.contains( "hello" ) );

```

Result: true

### Execute with working directory

```java
result = systemExecute( "pwd", getCanonicalPath( "." ) );
writeOutput( isStruct( result ) );

```

Result: true

## Related

* [ApplicationRestart](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationrestart.md)
* [ApplicationStartTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationstarttime.md)
* [ApplicationStop](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationstop.md)
* [BoxAnnounce](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxannounce.md)
* [BoxAnnounceAsync](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxannounceasync.md)
* [BoxAST](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxast.md)
* [BoxModuleReload](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxmodulereload.md)
* [BoxRegisterInterceptionPoints](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterinterceptionpoints.md)
* [BoxRegisterInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterinterceptor.md)
* [BoxRegisterRequestInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterrequestinterceptor.md)
* [BoxUnregisterInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxunregisterinterceptor.md)
* [BoxUnregisterRequestInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxunregisterrequestinterceptor.md)
* [CallStackGet](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/callstackget.md)
* [CreateGUID](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createguid.md)
* [CreateObject](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createobject.md)
* [CreateUUID](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createuuid.md)
* [DE](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/de.md)
* [DebugBoxContexts](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/debugboxcontexts.md)
* [Dump](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/dump.md)
* [Duplicate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/duplicate.md)
* [echo](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/echo.md)
* [EncodeForHTML](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/encodeforhtml.md)
* [GetApplicationMetadata](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getapplicationmetadata.md)
* [GetBaseTagData](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetagdata.md)
* [GetBaseTagList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetaglist.md)
* [GetBaseTemplatePath](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetemplatepath.md)
* [GetBoxContext](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxcontext.md)
* [GetBoxRuntime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxruntime.md)
* [GetBoxVersionInfo](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxversioninfo.md)
* [GetClassMetadata](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getclassmetadata.md)
* [GetComponentList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcomponentlist.md)
* [GetContextRoot](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcontextroot.md)
* [GetCurrentTemplatePath](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcurrenttemplatepath.md)
* [GetFileFromPath](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfilefrompath.md)
* [GetFunctionCalledName](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfunctioncalledname.md)
* [GetFunctionList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfunctionlist.md)
* [GetModuleInfo](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmoduleinfo.md)
* [GetModuleList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmodulelist.md)
* [GetModuleTree](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmoduletree.md)
* [GetRequestClassLoader](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getrequestclassloader.md)
* [GetSemver](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getsemver.md)
* [GetSystemSetting](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getsystemsetting.md)
* [GetTempDirectory](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/gettempdirectory.md)
* [GetTickCount](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/gettickcount.md)
* [htmlEditFormat](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/htmleditformat.md)
* [IIF](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/iif.md)
* [Invoke](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/invoke.md)
* [IsInstanceOf](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/isinstanceof.md)
* [JavaCast](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/javacast.md)
* [ObjectDeserialize](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/objectdeserialize.md)
* [ObjectSerialize](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/objectserialize.md)
* [PagePoolClear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/pagepoolclear.md)
* [Print](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/print.md)
* [Println](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/println.md)
* [RunThreadInContext](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/runthreadincontext.md)
* [SessionInvalidate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessioninvalidate.md)
* [SessionRotate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessionrotate.md)
* [SessionStartTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessionstarttime.md)
* [Sleep](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sleep.md)
* [SystemCacheClear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemcacheclear.md)
* [SystemOutput](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemoutput.md)
* [Throw](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/throw.md)
* [Trace](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/trace.md)
* [URLDecode](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/urldecode.md)
* [URLEncodedFormat](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/urlencodedformat.md)
* [writeDump](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writedump.md)
* [WriteLog](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writelog.md)
* [WriteOutput](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writeoutput.md)


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