Question 1

How do I set a custom working directory for a command with cmd?

Accepted Answer

Use the cmd.WithWorkingDir option when creating the command, or define a custom option function that sets the WorkingDir field, as demonstrated in the README's example with setWorkingDir.

Question 2

What's the difference between cmd and Go's os/exec package?

Accepted Answer

cmd builds on os/exec by adding cross-platform abstractions, built-in timeout support, and a simpler API, but os/exec offers more low-level control and is part of the standard library, so it's better for fine-tuned scenarios.

Question 3

Can I capture both stdout and stderr separately after execution?

Accepted Answer

Yes, after calling Execute(), you can retrieve outputs using c.Stdout() and c.Stderr() methods, or configure custom writers upfront with cmd.WithCustomStdout and cmd.WithCustomStderr for real-time processing.

Question 4

How does cmd handle environment variables on different OSes?

Accepted Answer

It provides cmd.WithEnvironmentVariables for setting specific vars and cmd.WithInheritedEnvironment to inherit from the parent process, abstracting OS differences in env var handling, though complex cases may need manual intervention.

Question 5

Is cmd package good for running multiple commands in parallel?

Accepted Answer

While cmd can execute commands, it doesn't include built-in concurrency management; you'll need to handle goroutines and synchronization yourself, similar to using os/exec directly.

Question 6

What happens if a command times out with cmd?

Accepted Answer

When a timeout is set via cmd.WithTimeout, the command is killed after the duration, and an error is returned, helping prevent resource leaks in long-running processes.

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