# Exec node execution environment

**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108
**Category:** General
**Tags:** docker
**Created:** [7 January 2026 05:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108 "2026-01-07T05:48:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![mhl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@mhl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mhl)
#### Post date: [7 January 2026 05:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108/1 "2026-01-07T05:48:28Z")

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I am running node-red in a docker container on an rpios-lite system which comes with `busybox tar` instead of real `tar`. I need to use the `--checkpoint` option of real `tar` -- and that option is not provided by `busybox tar.` So I modified the `Dockerfile` to install the real tar via `apk`. I confirmed that it worked by running `docker exec <container> tar --version`. All looks good. But when run `tar --version` from an exec node, it says it is using busybox.

How come? Is node-red running in some special execution environment?

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### Author: ![LosinIt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@LosinIt](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/LosinIt)
#### Post date: [7 January 2026 06:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108/2 "2026-01-07T06:44:26Z")

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I think you need to prepend the path, like /bin/tar or wherever it is in your system.

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### Author: ![mhl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@mhl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mhl)
#### Post date: [7 January 2026 17:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108/3 "2026-01-07T17:20:00Z")

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I tried that first -- it didn't work. Thanks for the suggestion.

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### Author: ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [7 January 2026 18:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108/4 "2026-01-07T18:38:30Z")

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So when you use the full path to the installed one with --version it actually runs a different file?

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### Author: ![mhl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e19adc/32.png) [@mhl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/mhl)
#### Post date: [9 January 2026 17:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108/5 "2026-01-09T17:49:06Z")

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Cancel this. Turns out that the real tar was not actually installed, as I thought. Thanks for the help.

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### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [23 January 2026 17:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/exec-node-execution-environment/100108/6 "2026-01-23T17:49:26Z")

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