Expect: spawned process in sleep state (log_file problem?)

From: Bob - Andover, MA (tsreyb_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 09/22/04 

Date: 22 Sep 2004 11:56:11 -0700

I have a working Expect script which spawns another tcl script
(capturing its output to a file) and then continues on to do other
useful things. The general idea is:

#!/usr/local/bin/expect --

#-- First, spawn the xyz script
  log_file xyz.txt
  spawn xyz.tcl
  expect {
    eof {
    }
  }
  catch {close -i $spawn_id}
  catch {wait -i $spawn_id}
  log_file

#-- Now do more stuff ..
  set abc [expr 1 + 2]
  puts "abc is $abc"

Today I decided to see if I could do the "more stuff" section while
the xyz script ran in background.

I think I'm very close to having it operational, but the spawned xyz
script gets into a sleep state for some reason. I suspect it is
because it no longer has its log file attached (because I explicitly
detached it). I could leave it attached, but the problem is I do NOT
want the output of xyz and "more stuff" to be intermingled - I really
want xyz to have its own log file.

Here's how I currently have it implemented (in the broken state):

#!/usr/local/bin/expect --

#-- First, spawn the xyz script
  log_file xyz.txt
  spawn xyz.tcl
  log_file

#-- Now do more stuff ..
  set abc [expr 1 + 2]
  puts "abc is $abc"

#-- Wait for xyz..
  expect {
    eof {
    }
  }
  catch {close -i $spawn_id}
  catch {wait -i $spawn_id}

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