One example is, STDIN won't work in Windows with select

So don't insist that everything is selectable. Use select on the sockets which is portable, and use a thread for STDIN. There is only 1 STDIN, so the cost is minimal.

Your main dispatch loop then becomes something like:

my $Qstdin = new Thread::Queue;
async {
    $Qstdin->enqueue( $_ ) while defined( $_ = <STDIN> );
}->detach;

...

while( 1 ) {
    if( my @readers = $selector->can_read( 0.1 ) ) {
        ## See what they have to say
    }
    elsif( my @writers = $selector->can_write( 0.1 ) {
        ## Tell'em what they need to know
    }
    elsif( my @exceptors = $selector->has_exception( 0.1 ) {
        ## Deal with their tantrums
    }
    else {
        while( $Qstdin->pending ) {
            my $kbinput = $Qstdin->dequeue;
            ## do whatever
        } 
    }
}
[download]

That should be portable to any OS supporting threads:

• It uses one thread, so memory use is minimal.
• It requires no user locking or syncing. Simple code.
• Doesn't require you to do nasty things like using RAW mode.

  That means that all the facilties provided by the local shell, like:

  • Line buffering.
  • Line editing.
  • History.
  • Macro expansion.
  • Redirection.
  • etc.

  are available without any extra effort, code or complications on your behalf.