R 2.3.1 and R2.3.0 crash with system() and shell() commands (PR#9207)

Full_Name: Johannes Prix
Version: 2.3.1/2.3.0 not 2.1.1
OS: Windows XP Service Pack 2 Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.0503011519
Submission from: (NULL) (137.208.41.103)



In a vanilla R, version 2.3.1 or version 2.3.0 the following crashes:

system("gzip.exe")

where I did nothing, prior to this command, but change the directory to my other
working directory where there's gzip.exe.  Same happens for PUTTY's pscp.exe and
other commands.  Normally, I use a longer command line than the one above, but
it also crashes with this short one.  Makes no difference if  I use Rgui.exe or
Rterm.exe.  Same result with "shell" instead of "system".

With non-existing commands, I get

system("asdf")

Warning message:
asdf nicht gefunden 

It works on an 2.1.1 installation though.

The machine is otherwise "normal" but has lots of memory.

Any clues on how to circumvent this would be wonderful.  Otherwise I'll just
stick to the R-2.1.1 where it's working.  Please let me know if anything else in
this bug report is missing.

Thanks a lot and see ya, 
Johannes Prix.