this will also begin to set things right

examples/exec/.gitignore

@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 .lando
-.test
+test

examples/exec/README.md

@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ lando exec web4 -- "nope || echo hellothere" | grep hellothere
 lando exec web4 -- "echo -n hello; echo there;" | grep hellothere
 lando exec web4 -- "echo -n hello; echo there;" | grep hellothere
 lando exec web4 -- "echo \"\$MESSAGE\"" | grep hellothere
+lando exec web4 -- echo "\$MESSAGE" | grep hellothere
 lando exec web4 -- "mkdir -p /usr/share/nginx/html/test && echo hellothere > /usr/share/nginx/html/test/msg1 && cat /usr/share/nginx/html/test/msg1" | grep hellothere
 lando exec web4 -- "mkdir -p /usr/share/nginx/html/test && echo -n hello >> /usr/share/nginx/html/test/msg2 && echo there >> /usr/share/nginx/html/test/msg2 && cat /usr/share/nginx/html/test/msg2" | grep hellothere
 lando exec web4 -- "cat < /usr/share/nginx/html/test/msg2" | grep hellothere

examples/exec/test/msg1

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+hellothere

examples/exec/test/msg2

@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 hellothere
 hellothere
+hellothere

scripts/exec.sh

@@ -3,19 +3,30 @@
 # load in any dynamically set envvars
 source /etc/lando/environment
 
-# we need a holder for our expanded args
-args=()
+# if this is a wrapper script then just execute it
+if [[ "$1" == *sh || "$1" == *bash ]]; then
+  debug "exec '$@'"
+  exec "$@"
 
-# iterate and expand any variables
-# @NOTE: does this have other unintended non-variable consequences?
-for arg in "$@"; do
-  earg=$(eval echo "$arg")
-  args+=("$earg")
-done
+# otherwise try to process
+else
+  args=()
 
-# replace "$@" with args
-set -- "${args[@]}"
+  # eval any args with a $
+  for arg in "$@"; do
+    if [[ "$arg" == *\$* ]]; then
+      earg=$(eval echo "$arg")
+      debug "processed '$arg' into '$earg'"
+      args+=("$earg")
+    else
+      args+=("$arg")
+    fi
+  done
 
-# DO IT!
-debug "$@ with $# args"
-exec "$@"
+  # replace "$@" with args
+  set -- "${args[@]}"
+
+  # DO IT!
+  debug "exec '$@'"
+  exec "$@"
+fi

tasks/exec.js

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ module.exports = (lando, config = lando.appConfig) => ({
     // this is useful to handle wrapping more complex commands a la "cmd && cmd"
     if (Array.isArray(options.command) && options.command.length === 1) {
       if (require('string-argv')(options.command[0]).length > 1) {
-        options.command = ['sh', '-c', options.command];
+        options.command = ['sh', '-c', options.command[0]];
       }
     }
 
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ module.exports = (lando, config = lando.appConfig) => ({
 
     // try to run it
     try {
+      lando.log.debug('running exec command %o on %o', runner.cmd, runner.id);
       await require('../utils/build-docker-exec')(lando, ['inherit', 'pipe', 'pipe'], runner);
 
     // error

utils/build-docker-exec.js

@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ const getExecOpts = (docker, datum) => {
   if (datum.cmd[0] === '/etc/lando/exec.sh' && datum.cmd[datum.cmd.length - 1] === '&') {
     datum.cmd.pop();
     exec.push('--detach');
+  } else if (datum.cmd[0] === '/etc/lando/exec.sh' && datum.cmd[datum.cmd.length - 1].endsWith('&')) {
+    datum.cmd[datum.cmd.length - 1] = datum.cmd[datum.cmd.length - 1].slice(0, -1).trim();
+    exec.push('--detach');
   // Assess the intention to detach for shell wrappers
   } else if (datum.cmd[0].endsWith('sh') && datum.cmd[1] === '-c' && datum.cmd[2].endsWith('&')) {
     datum.cmd[2] = datum.cmd[2].slice(0, -1).trim();