# Starting a shell command without wait?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-a-shell-command-without-wait/157694>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [January 14, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-a-shell-command-without-wait/157694 "2009-01-14T14:32:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![masterpinki](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@masterpinki](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/masterpinki)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-a-shell-command-without-wait/157694/1 "2009-01-14T14:32:49Z")

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Hi,

I have a simple problem. I like to start simply executable on windows XP  
with a shell command as last step in the small script. Using  
system(“some.exe”), `some.exe`, exec(“some.exe”) or %x[“some.exe”] keeps  
always the shell open. After closing the exe the shell also vanish.

How can i simply start a executable from a ruby script without having  
the shell always open?

Thanks,  
Roland

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![masterpinki](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@masterpinki](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/masterpinki)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/starting-a-shell-command-without-wait/157694/2 "2009-01-14T15:24:02Z")

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I found my self the solution!

I use now IO.popen(“some.exe”) and it does the job.

Thanks,  
Roland