uutils/findutils

`find -exec {} [args...] \;` fails

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#614 opened on Jan 18, 2026

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good first issue

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Description

revision: 245623ecc6a19537b9f1fd94cb917653f170291d

cd /
find /usr/bin -name pwd -exec {} -P ';'  # /usr/bin/pwd -P

GNU and BSD show

/

and exit zero, whereas uutils fails:

Failed to run {}: No such file or directory (os error 2)

As per https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799.2024edition/utilities/find.html, this is valid.

-exec utility_name [argument ...] ; … A utility_name or argument containing only the two characters "{}" shall be replaced by the current pathname.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Check how the exec utility token {} is expanded and passed to execve. The issue is that {} should be replaced by the file path only, not taking the whole command string. Look at parsing of arguments after exec.
Tech stack
rust
Domain
cli
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
GitRustfind command basics
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
75