mac not returning values

ive create an integrated svn for maya, but for some reason I get no returns when run on Mac

in mel script in maya, typing:
  
system("id -un");

will return:

//result usernamehere
//

all SVN commands sent this way do not return information back to Maya

example:
system("svn help");
should return the help text, yet it is blank

the same commands run from a pc return properly
Received on 2008-05-07 22:41:21 CEST