C:\>perl -v

This is perl 5, version 14, subversion 2 (v5.14.2) built for MSWin32-x
+64-multi-thread
(with 1 registered patch, see perl -V for more detail)

Copyright 1987-2011, Larry Wall

Binary build 1402 [295342] provided by ActiveState http://www.ActiveSt
+ate.com
Built Oct  7 2011 15:19:36

Perl may be copied only under the terms of either the Artistic License
+ or the
GNU General Public License, which may be found in the Perl 5 source ki
+t.

Complete documentation for Perl, including FAQ lists, should be found 
+on
this system using "man perl" or "perldoc perl".  If you have access to
+ the
Internet, point your browser at http://www.perl.org/, the Perl Home Pa
+ge.


C:\>
[download]

Something wrong with Windows implementation?

More of a platform difference -- a thread used instead of a fork.

Use this instead:

use strict;
use warnings;

my $cmd = "tasklist";
my $pid = open PIPE, "-|", $cmd or die $!;

while (my $line = <PIPE> ) {
    print $line;
    last if $line =~ /^smss/;
}

close PIPE;
[download]

---

With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

RIP Neil Armstrong

Something wrong with Windows implementation?

It doesn't hang for me with sysinternals pslist, Devel::VersionDump

Perl version: v5.14.1 on MSWin32 (C:\perl\5.14.1\bin\MSWin32-x86-multi
+-thread\perl.exe)
Carp               -    1.26
Devel::VersionDump -    0.02
Exporter           -    5.66
IO                 - 1.25_04
IO::Handle         -    1.31
IO::Pipe           -    1.14
SelectSaver        -    1.02
Symbol             -    1.07
XSLoader           -    0.15
strict             -    1.04
warnings           -    1.12
[download]