my $command='whatever.....';
my $status;
eval {
  local $SIG{ALRM} = sub { die("dead\n"); };
  alarm 2; 
  my $status=`$command`;
  alarm(0); # turn off the alarm clock
};
if($@){
  if($@ eq "dead\n"){
     $status='Timeout';
  }else{
     chomp($status);
  }
}
return $status;