You should try system - unlike backticks, it does not gather the executed program's STDOUT, but unlike backticks, it does gather the program's exit value and stores it in $?

UPDATE: listen to bikeNomad - STDERR is your friend here :)

Jeff 

R-R-R--R-R-R--R-R-R--R-R-R--R-R-R--
L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--

In reply to (jeffa) Re: getting output from backticks by jeffa
in thread getting output from backticks by melguin

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