Roger Pack wrote:
>> The win32-process gem claims to handle some of that functionality...
> 
> It probably does give some hints as to how one could accomplish this 
> [not waiting for INFINITY, for example].
> http://allgems.ruby-forum.com/gems/doc/win32-process/0.6.0
> 
> I did figure out a way that appears to work in windows, for any 
> followers...
> 
> http://betterlogic.com/roger/?p=1900
> 
> Works for me :)
> -r

If you're going to fire up a thread (as in Timeout), you could also do 
something like this (maybe a bit more efficient):

done = false
Thread.new {Process.wait(a.pid); done = true}
loop do
   # ...
   if done
     # ...
   end
end

(I hope that doesn't fail on windows, but didn't test it...)

-- 
       vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407