Cannot use exec() to run separate thread ? exec_nowait() anyone?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi all, - ------------------------ short ------------------- No & in exec() or system() So PHP always wait for command to complete and exit. Is there something I missed? - ----------------------- example ------------------- $exec="sleep 240 &"; #4 minutes echo strftime("%H:%M:%S\n")."<BR>"; echo "Running $exec <BR>"; flush(); $string = exec($exec,$retvar, $return_status); echo strftime("%H:%M:%S\n")."<BR>"; echo "Returned-die <BR>"; flush(); Will output: 18:44:25 Running /usr/bin/sudo sleep 240 & 18:48:25 Returned-die - ---------------------- long --------------------- I have a problem with running a specific command that initializes Informix database server. Apparently because of the fact that this command starts separate threads, and that some of them keep running even after the original command exits, PHP is unable to detect that command exited, and just waits indefinitely. Why is that anyway? If I exec() a shell script, and the script terminates, that should be enough for PHP to resume control after exec()? Additional question would then be how to tell PHP that exec() completed, from shell script, even if some spawned threads are still running? In the lack of this answers, I am asking for the way to run with "&" but this does not work too, as described. Do we need something like exec_nowait() command? Thanks, Yours, Andrej Falout, http://www.falout.com ICQ 7628616 #----------------------------------------------------------------- globals "std_disclaimer.4gl" "Venus is still under construction. Thank you for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience." - Match.com online dating site. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 6.0.2i iQA/AwUBOUfE9BZH34ibpTRkEQI4kwCgtTVJPho/7SltqcksrxZoinDMFScAn0y7 7vPDtU5WyC1XPxQ+UFsk46+G =8TH0 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----