The sh build script method can be used to directly execute commands. The sh method accepts either a single String argument or an Array of Strings. When an Array is given, if the array length is greater than 1, then the command will not be executed and interpreted by the system shell. Otherwise, it will be executed and interpreted by the system shell.

For example:

default do
  # Run "make" in imported "subcomponent" directory.
  sh "cd subcomponent; make"
  # Move a file around.
  sh "mv", "subcomponent/file with spaces.txt", "new_name.txt"
end

If the command fails, rscons will normally print the error and terminate execution. If the :continue option is set, then rscons will not terminate execution. For example:

default do
  # This command will fail and a message will be printed.
  sh "false", continue: true
  # However, due to the :continue option being set, execution will continue.
  sh "echo hi"
end

Options that Ruby's spawn method accepts can also be passed in to the sh method. For example, to execute the given command with a different working directory, the :chdir option can be specified:

default do
  # Execute 'ls' from within the 'src' directory:
  sh "ls", chdir: "src"
end