Unable to execute decompiler on Mac about retdec-idaplugin

[PeterMatula]

Looks like another problem with Bash. We can try to get back to this after Bash is replaced with Python implementation (soon I hope) - hopefully, it will be fixed.

[PeterMatula]

So, in 05c7c47 i did the following:

• Python interpreter-related checks are not done at plugin initialization. For unknown reason it was crashing IDA on Windows (on Linux, it was ok).
• Python interpreter-related checks are done before each decompilation.
  • Cons: More checks, more external command invocations from plugin. Should not be a problem.
  • Pros: No crashes - safer (I never know what can and cannot be done in plugin's init function). Users are not bothered at every IDA start if they have a misconfigured plugin but don't use it. Checks can react to the current system state - state can change during one IDA session.
• New check for python interpreter version - must be at least 3.4, otherwise decompilation will not be attempted. Therefore if python is used, and it is Python 2, as it was in your case, you would be notified. Also PATH is printed in the warning message, so it would be clearer what happened.
• It is possible to configure path to the Python interpreter in plugin's config window - you do not have to hack your system just for RetDec IDA plugin. Once configured, it will be remembered.

I'm closing this as solved. You can try it and if there is a problem re-open, or open a new issue. I'm still solving some problems with empty warning windows on Windows, it is caused by some code related to this, but the issue is not really related to the original problem, so this can be closed.

[Maroc-OS]

Because bash script doesn't work great on macOS.

Try python branch.

BTW: what is the output of :

/usr/local/bin/retdec-decompiler.sh --help

[HarukaMa]

$ /usr/local/bin/retdec-decompiler.sh --help
Decompiles the given file into the selected target high-level language.

Usage:
    /usr/local/bin/retdec-decompiler.sh [ options ] file

Options:
...(lists all options available)

It seems bash-to-python branch is actually behind master though.

[PeterMatula]

Can you try it now after we got rid of Bash?

[HarukaMa]

It worked, but only after changing /usr/bin/python to point that to python 3. It seems when we are in RdGlobalInfo::isDecompilerInSpecifiedPath the pythonCmd is python, initPythonCommand was not being run to set it to python3. I think /usr/bin normally could not be modified because of SIP, so the plugin would stuck to python 2 which will fail to run the decompiler.

[PeterMatula]

pythonCmd has no default value, initPythonCommand() should always run in plugin initialization and set it up. If it does not, it is a bug. But I think it is very likely it did run and set up pythonCmd to python.

• How did you figure out it did not run?
• Does python3 --version or py -3 --version work in your command line? If not, python is used.

[HarukaMa]

I added some info message output in corresponding functions, and they are not printed out. Will try to confirm that later.

python3 works on my command line.

[HarukaMa]

Sorry if the email of this reply have different content, I missed one output. Please read the new version below.

I made some very crude logs to check if they were run:

@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ bool RdGlobalInfo::isSelectiveDecompilation()
  */
 bool RdGlobalInfo::initPythonCommand()
 {
+    INFO_MSG("Z");
        if (runCommand("python3", "--version") == 0)
        {
+           INFO_MSG("A");
                pythonCmd = "python3";
                return false;
        }
@@ -137,6 +139,7 @@ bool RdGlobalInfo::initPythonCommand()

 bool RdGlobalInfo::isDecompilerInSpecifiedPath() const
 {
+    INFO_MSG("%s\"%s\" --help\n", pythonCmd.c_str(), decompilerPyPath.c_str());
        return runCommand(pythonCmd, "\"" + decompilerPyPath + "\" --help") == 0;
 }

Only Z is present in the log, so it didn't find the python3 installation (maybe because of the binary location?)

# MrX @ harukanomacbook-pro in ~/src/retdec-idaplugin on git:master x [16:20:33]
$ python3 --version
Python 3.6.2

# MrX @ harukanomacbook-pro in ~/src/retdec-idaplugin on git:master x [16:20:35]
$ which python3
/usr/local/bin/python3

[PeterMatula]

Ok, so initPythonCommand() is run, but it does not successfully execute python3 --version even though you can execute it from the terminal.

Is it possible that the PATH is somehow modified in order to find python3 only in your terminal but not globally - so the mechanism in plugin does not see it?

First, can you try to modify initPythonCommand() like this?

if (runCommand("/usr/local/bin/python3", "--version") == 0)
{
	INFO_MSG("A");
	pythonCmd = "/usr/local/bin/python3";
	return false;
}

If this works then python3 can be executed and used, but plugin environment simply does not see it. If it does not, then we have some bigger problem.

Second (if first works), runCommand() is using IDA SDK's launch_process() mechanism, and I don't really know how it works internally. Could you try to replace it with std::system() in initPythonCommand(). First

if (std::system("/usr/local/bin/python3 --version") == 0)
{
	INFO_MSG("A");
	pythonCmd = "/usr/local/bin/python3";
	return false;
}

and then:

if (std::system("python3 --version") == 0)
{
	INFO_MSG("A");
	pythonCmd = "python3";
	return false;
}

If both work (mainly "python3 --version"), then there is some difference between std::system() and launch_process(). If only "/usr/local/bin/python3" works, then whatever environment is plugin using, the PATH is not set in a way python3 can be found.

[HarukaMa]

After testing I've found that it is caused by global PATH. For applications launched outside of terminals, the PATH needs to be changed using launchctl setenv PATH ... to make applications see them. After setting the PATH in launchctl the plugin could find python3 successfully.

[securebluefox]

I want to know how to solve this problem, I still get this error.


My system is Mac os 10.15

[s3rvac]

@hebtuerror404 Please, create a new issue as this one is closed and very old. Also, attach please the input file and the out from IDA's console.