child processes are not terminated - output redirection unusable

[mwallner]

• Category
  • fzf binary
  • fzf-tmux script
  • Key bindings
  • Completion
  • Vim
  • Neovim
  • Etc.
• OS
  • Linux
  • Mac OS X
  • Windows
  • Windows Subsystem for Linux
  • Etc.
• Shell
  • bash
  • zsh
  • fish
  • powershell / cmd

I've been using fzf on Windows for a while now, but always had trouble when using it with "deeply nested" directory trees.

fzf version

(installed via Chocolatey)

context

I'm using a PowerShell helper cd-fzf which basically calls fzf and tries to do a set-location on the result:

function cd-fzf {
  Set-Location (Get-Item $(fzf)).Directory.FullName
}

a simpler example

you should be able to redirect the output of fzf to a variable:

$res = $(fzf)

the problem

the above stated examples work all right, iff the current working directory is not "deep", i.e. the child process that's doing the search in the background is able to finish at some point.

I've noticed, that fzf.exe finishes on press of enter, yet a "leftover" cmd.exe runs as long as it needs to list all files in the current directory.

proof

Screenshot 1: (procexp) fzf during runtime, notice the child cmd.exe with pid 1180

Screenshot 2: after fzf finished, the child cmd.exe with pid 1180 keeps running,

• as long as the child process is not being destroyed, the output redirection $somevar = $(fzf) hangs.

suggested fix

actively kill all child processes before exiting fzf.

[janlazo]

golang/go#17608
#1200 (comment)
https://github.com/junegunn/fzf/wiki/Windows#relative-filepaths
It's a known problem for golang.