From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Sun Apr  8 19:03:44 2007
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4AF6816A405
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sun,  8 Apr 2007 19:03:44 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 19CCB13C480
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sun,  8 Apr 2007 19:03:44 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by wonkity.com (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id l38J3hYj073948;
	Sun, 8 Apr 2007 13:03:43 -0600 (MDT)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost)
	by wonkity.com (8.13.8/8.13.8/Submit) with ESMTP id l38J3hiR073945;
	Sun, 8 Apr 2007 13:03:43 -0600 (MDT)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2007 13:03:43 -0600 (MDT)
From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To: Olivier Regnier <oregnier@steelbox.org>
In-Reply-To: <46190C84.4080907@steelbox.org>
Message-ID: <20070408125226.T73681@wonkity.com>
References: <46190C84.4080907@steelbox.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-3.0
	(wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Sun, 08 Apr 2007 13:03:43 -0600 (MDT)
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: perl/script and retval
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 08 Apr 2007 19:03:44 -0000

On Sun, 8 Apr 2007, Olivier Regnier wrote:

> my $retval=0;
> my $doc_supfile="/etc/doc-supfile";
>
> # Downloading doc files
> print "===> Downloading doc files\n";
> system("/usr/bin/csup $doc_supfile
> if (! $retval) {
> print "abort";
> exit;
> }
> I don't know what happened with retval but that doesn't work correctly.

Hint: does $retval have a return value assigned to it anywhere?

Even then, it may not work like you expect.  That is explained:

perldoc -f system

In general, 'perldoc -f functionname' is very useful.  Also, see

perldoc perlstyle

So that code section would be better (more Perlishly) done like this:

--
my $doc_supfile="/etc/doc-supfile";

# Downloading doc files
print "===> Downloading doc files\n";
system("/usr/bin/csup $doc_supfile") == 0 or die "abort: $?\n";
--

-Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota USA