From: Ernest Ellingson <erne@...>
Date: 2006-01-26T21:33:23+09:00
Subject: Re: Help with Apache cgi

Ernest Ellingson wrote:
> I'm trying to port a cgi program that runs fine under windows.  But I 
> can't seem to get what I want done under linux.
> 
> I want to send out emails to a list of subscribers.  This program will 
> take about 10 minutes to run.
> 
> In windows I've been using the start command.  This actually starts a 
> process and the cgi program continues to run a tells the user that 
> emails are being sent.  The start command lets the program run in the 
> background.  The cgi program doesn't have to wait for the mail program 
> to finish.
> 
> I've tried
>     z=fork do
>         `mail progam`
>     end
>     Process.detatch(z)
>     The program doesn't run.
> I've tried writing a cronjobs file
>     t=Time.now + 60
>     File.open('/var/www/cronjobs'){|f| f.write("#{t.min} #{t.hour} etc")}
>          `crontab /var/www/cronjobs`
> 
>     crontab -u apache -l
>     lists the cron job at the right minute, hour, month, etc.  but the 
> cron job doesn't run.
> 
> The only thing I've seen in the Rubytalk archives is a suggestion to 
> close stderr, stdin, and stdout in the child process when using fork. 
> That didn't help either.
> 
> Does anyone have a clue how to do this using apache and ruby?
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Ernie
> -- 
> "Keep an open mind, but not so open that your brain falls out." (Richard 
> Feynman)

I've figured it out.

Thanks to Thomas Uehlinger and the developers of daemons 
http://daemons.rubyforge.org/
It's really simple!!!

Thanks again

Ernie