that did something...modified per samtregar and Ieronim's suggestions: 
# run command through a pipe
open(WEBOS,"$com|") or warn("cant open pipe to command: $!");
$com = join('', <WEBOS>);
close(WEBOS) or warn("cant close pipe to command: $! $?");

[download]
 and it seems to be throwing an error on the close(), though it doesnt say why. scratch that last comment, $? is returning the value 11

UPDATE: the C program i'm calling seems to be failing when do_auth calls it from within a module. when do_auth calls it from within a pl script, however, it works fine. this gives me the impression that the permissions are varying when I call a sub in the instance script from when i call a sub in a module used in said instance script. in the meantime, i'm just going to drop the CGI::Application framework right now and rewrite it all as one big script.

thanks for the help, everyone! i appreciate it, as always!

__________
Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
- Terry Pratchett

In reply to Re: blank string returned from piped command by EvanK
in thread blank string returned from piped command by EvanK

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