Hi, I'm trying to start a Win32 process and exit leaving the process executing. The test scenario is a CGI calling a simple Http server (the Synapse Http server demo).

The problem is the CGI program doesn't stop (in Firefox's status bar there's a "Transfering data from localhost..." message until I click Stop button) until the child process is finished. If I refresh the page, the program works as expected.

Any hint on this?

To start the child process I use TProcess as follows:

...
    lProcess := TProcess.Create(nil);
    try
      lProcess.CommandLine := 'httpserver.exe';
      lProcess.Options := [poNoConsole];
      lProcess.Execute;
    finally
      lProcess.Free;
    end;
...

Leonardo M. Ramé
http://leonardorame.blogspot.com

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"Execute" is blocking, so it will continue to execute itself until you will stop the execution.

You might wish to seperate the process by creating two executables, and execute a program in the background so you could decide what to do, like in a daemon way...

Ido

You might wish to seperate the process by creating two executables,

That's already done.

and execute a program in the background so you could decide what to do, like in a daemon way...

Yes, the problem is I want to do it in a multiplatform way.

In Linux I can set CommandLine := 'httpserver &';
In Win32 I should create a service, *but* I don't have administrative privileges.

Correct me if I'm wrong, can I create a Win32 service without admin privileges? Or do you know a better way?

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Thanks L, do you know if I ShellExecute can create a process without showing the command window?

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did.

Something like this below:

program ShellExec; {$mode objfpc}{$H+}
uses
  pwumain, windows;
begin
  WebWriteln(' Hello! ');
  ShellExecute(0 , 'open', 'cmd /k c:\winnt\notepad.exe', nil, nil,
SW_SHOWNORMAL) ;
end.

Because cmd /k forks open a new separate cmd shell for you (not a child, AFAIK). But test it, and let me know.

Then on unix you already know how with the ampersand, so just make a cross platform wrapper.

I have not looked at TProcess source code and don't know if it will work for you.. but maybe we can patch TProcess to give it some new abilities if it cannot launch a separate process currently?

Thanks L, do you know if I ShellExecute can create a process without showing the command window?

I'm sure you can hide it.. just a matter of finding the right Windows API paramaters..

Probably something like..
SW_HIDE

Not tested, not sure. ;-)

Actually, maybe cmd /c will help you too (or not)

Syntax
cmd [[{/c|/k}] [/s] [/q] [/d]
[{/a|/u}] [/t:fg]
[/e:{on|off}] [/f:{on|off}]
[/v:{on|off}] string]

Parameters
/c : Carries out the command specified by string and then stops. /k : Carries out the command specified by string and continues. /s : Modifies the treatment of string after /c or /k. /q : Turns the echo off.
/d : Disables execution of AutoRun commands.
/a : Creates American National Standards Institute (ANSI) output. /u : Creates Unicode output.
/t:fg : Sets the foreground f and background g colors. The following tables lists valid hexadecimal digits that you can use as the values for f and g.

Have you tested this simple way of doing it below

program test; {$mode objfpc} {$H+}
uses windows;
begin
  ShellExecute(0 , 'open', 'notepad', nil, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL) ;
  ShellExecute(0 , 'open', 'notepad', nil, nil, SW_HIDE) ;
end.

The cmd /k may not even be needed... and it may not even work the way I showed in the previous examples in my emails.