Index: subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/main.py
===================================================================
--- subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/main.py	(revision 1507775)
+++ subversion/tests/cmdline/svntest/main.py	(working copy)
@@ -412,12 +412,19 @@
   if not stderr:
     stderr = subprocess.PIPE
 
-  p = subprocess.Popen(command,
+  try:
+    p = subprocess.Popen(command,
                        bufsize,
                        stdin=stdin,
                        stdout=stdout,
                        stderr=stderr,
                        close_fds=not windows)
+  except:
+    # catch expeption, print information, and reraise
+    print "current dir:", os.path.abspath(os.getcwd())
+    print command
+    raise
+
   return p.stdin, p.stdout, p.stderr, (p, command_string)
 
 def wait_on_pipe(waiter, binary_mode, stdin=None):