sub execute_command
{
  my($command) = @_;

  return &execute_command_rc(0,$command);
}


#Same, but can specify a return code to check for success
sub execute_command_rc {
  my $expectedrc = $_[0];
  my $command = $_[1];

  my $pid = &my_fork($command);

  my $returned_pid = waitpid($pid,0);

  my $status = $?;

  &log_and_exit("no child procs to collect?????",$failure)
    if ($returned_pid == -1);

  &log_and_exit("returned pid: $returned_pid should have been $pid",$failure)
    if ($returned_pid != $pid);
# tim thinks perl should have macros like WEXITSTATUS
  my $exit_value = $status >> 8;
  my $signal_num = $status & 127;
  my $dumped_core = $status & 128;

  &log_message("$command exited with status: $exit_value (instead of $expectedrc)")
    if ($exit_value != $expectedrc);

  &log_message("$command killed by signal: $signal_num")
    if ($signal_num);

  &log_message("$command dumped core")
    if ($dumped_core);

  # emulate bash behavior. if process is killed, then return (128 | signal no.)
  return ($signal_num | 128) if ($signal_num);
  return $exit_value;
}