The return value is the exit status of the program as returned
               by the "wait" call.  To get the actual exit value, shif
+t right
               by eight (see below). See also "exec".  This is not wha
+t you
               want to use to capture the output from a command, for t
+hat you
               should use merely backticks or "qx//", as described in
               "`STRING`" in perlop.
[download]

So, if you are interested in the output of the external command, you need to use backticks or qx.

Note that system does not "skip" the shell at all.

Also, for portability sake, it's best to look for a builtin or module that will do what you want, rather than forking to the shell. Whether or not one is available, depends on what you are doing.

Cheers,
Darren :)