make it more portable this way: 
use File::Spec;
 my $devnul = File::Spec->devnull();
print $reply_to_user;
die "cannot fork: $!" unless defined ( my $pid = fork() );
if ( $pid ) { #this is the parent.
        exit;
    } else { #this is the child
open STDOUT, ">$devnul"  or die "Can't write to nowhere: $!";
open STDERR, ">$devnul"  or die "Can't write to nowhere: $!";
        sleep( 10 );
        #do stuff
}

[download]
This is a suggestion I have not tried, but BTW on WinNT the string value in $devnul is 'nul'.

Good Meditations,
soren andersen (Intrepid)

Q: What is the sound of several hundred Perler-dogs chasing cool code?
A: YAPC - YAPC - YAPC .. ! :)

In reply to RE: Re: Background Process by Intrepid
in thread Background Process by Anonymous Monk

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