As for libc's `system', change Awk to look for `sh' in $PATH. This patch is only meant to be used during bootstrapping, where we don't know in advance the absolute file name of `sh'. --- gawk-4.1.3/io.c 2015-05-19 15:37:20.000000000 +0200 +++ gawk-4.1.3/io.c 2015-06-09 18:39:36.918414881 +0200 @@ -2025,7 +2025,7 @@ set_sigpipe_to_default(); - execl("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", command, NULL); + execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", command, NULL); _exit(errno == ENOENT ? 127 : 126); case -1: @@ -2077,7 +2077,7 @@ signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL); - execl("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", command, NULL); + execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", command, NULL); _exit(errno == ENOENT ? 127 : 126); case -1: @@ -2422,7 +2422,7 @@ fatal(_("close of pipe failed (%s)"), strerror(errno)); /* stderr does NOT get dup'ed onto child's stdout */ set_sigpipe_to_default(); - execl("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", str, NULL); + execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", str, NULL); _exit(errno == ENOENT ? 127 : 126); } #endif /* NOT __EMX__, NOT __MINGW32__ */ @@ -2659,7 +2659,7 @@ if (close(p[0]) == -1 || close(p[1]) == -1) fatal(_("close of pipe failed (%s)"), strerror(errno)); set_sigpipe_to_default(); - execl("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", cmd, NULL); + execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", cmd, NULL); _exit(errno == ENOENT ? 127 : 126); } #endif /* NOT __EMX__, NOT __MINGW32__ */