Yes, this is a bug in the Windows version of Axiom caused by the fact that the Axiom code expects to be able to run unix system commands like `rm' (which means delete file). In this case it is calling a program called rm.exe that was previously installed on your system in a directory called `dostools'. This is non-standard for Windows - usually there is no rm.exe file anywhere unless you have installed some other package that contains it. Like you said, this would be ok if the location of Axiom was in a Path that did not contain any spaces.

comments:

windows/unix compatibility --Bill Page, Wed, 19 Jan 2005 09:35:58 -0600 reply
The most recent version of Axiom for Windows at AxiomBinaries? includes windows compatible versions of these utilities that work properly for paths including spaces. This is only a short-term fix. The proper solution of these windows/unix compatibility issues is to eliminate the use of system commands and write simple replacement code directly in lisp. That way portability becomes a GCL (or other lisp) issue - where it belongs. I think we should give this issue a high priority.

property change --Bill Page, Wed, 19 Jan 2005 09:41:31 -0600 reply
Severity: normal => serious

#34 Axiom missing rm, cat --unknown, Tue, 19 Apr 2005 11:25:45 -0500 reply
On initial installation but not on subsequent restart: on Windows XP Pro running on MAC OS/X base with VirualPC?: )summary command yields a statement that it could not find "cat" command. Version of installer is "axiom-windows-0.1.4.exe".

... --test1, Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:02:13 +0000 reply
Status: open => not reproducible