Here's the test code I used: 
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
# forker.pl

use strict;

my $pid = fork();
if ($pid == 0)
{
        exec("/tmp/busy_wait.pl");
}
elsif (!defined($pid))
{
        die "could not fork";
}

print "This is the parent process\n";

[download]
#!/usr/bin/perl -l
# busy_wait.pl

while (1)
{
        print "Busy!";
        sleep 2;
}

[download]
When I execute forker.pl, I get this output: 
[matt@megatron ~]$ /tmp/forker.pl
Busy!
This is the parent process
[matt@megatron ~]$ Busy!
Busy!
Busy!

[download]
The parent dies, and I get my shell prompt back, but the busy_wait.pl child lives on until I purposefully kill it.

-Matt

In reply to Re: Re: Re: Starting a process in the background that lives after perl dies. by DrManhattan
in thread Starting a process in the background that lives after perl dies. by ehdonhon

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