use threads;    
use Thread::Queue;
use threads::shared;
use IPC::Open2;

sub pipeCommand ($$$$;@) {
    my $uut   = shift;
    my $cmd   = shift;
    my $test  = shift;
    my $wd    = $homedir;
    $wd      .= shift;
    my @input = @_ ? @_ : ();

    my $thread = async {
        my $tid = threads->tid();
        my ( $out, $in );
        $cmd = "cd ".$wd."; ".$cmd;
        my $pid = open2( $out, $in, $cmd );
        print $in "$_\n" foreach (@input);
        close $in or warn "close of input: $! $?\n";
        my $err = 0;
        while (<$out>) {
            last if ($die);  #drops me out of loop and lets me exit cl
+eanly
            chomp;
            $err = 1 if (/^thread failed/);
            next unless length $_;
            $Q->enqueue("$tid:$uut:$test:$_");
            last if ($err);
        }
        kill( 2, $pid ) if ($err or $die);
        close $out or warn "close of output: $! $?\n";
        my $kpid = waitpid ($pid, 0);
        $Q->enqueue("$tid:$uut:$test:ENDEND");
        return;
    };
    $thread->detach();

    return ( $thread->tid() );
}
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my $tests = 7; # a number of tests

sub recv_results {

    my $done      = 0;
    my $err_count = 0;

    while (1) {
        if ( $Q->pending ) {
            my $line = $Q->dequeue;
            $_ = $line;
            chomp;
            if (/ENDEND$/) {
                $done++;
            }
            last if ( $done == $t_count );
            last if (/^DIEDIE$/);
            next if (/ENDEND$/);
                        
            if (/some pattern/) {
                 #log something
            } 
            else {
                 #log something else
            }
        }
        else {
            usleep 5000;
        }
    }

    return $err_count;
}
[download]

sub ALRM_handler {
    alarm 0;
    $Q->enqueue("DIEDIE");
    $die = 1;
}
[download]

my $time = 3600; #or some number of seconds

launch_tests();

$SIG{ALRM} = 'ALRM_handler';

my $alrm = $time + 35; #little extra time for init and close

alarm $alrm;
my $err_count = recv_results();

$die = 1;    #this will force any threads that are still stuck in the 
+while loop to exit
[download]