Windows – Run a PHP script as a background process on a WAMP server

You say "DOS", but I'd imagine you're meaning the Windows CMD shell. (MS-DOS isn't a multitasking operating system, after all.)

Okay, okay-- Here's a hack that I just worked up. I feel kinda dirty even suggesting this.

SET TASK=%RANDOM%-SELENIUM-SERVER-%RANDOM%
start "%TASK%" java -jar "path\selenium-server.jar"
ping -n 5 127.0.0.1 >NUL"
path\Gallio.Echo.exe" "path\MyAssembly.dll"
taskkill /FI "WINDOWTITLE eq %TASK%"

Assuming that the "java" command doesn't much with the window title, that "START" command will set the window title to "random number"-SELENIUM-SERVER-"random number", and then the TASKKILL will kill any windows with that title.

Eww... that makes me feel dirty.

If the "java" does mess with the window title, you could also do:

SET TASK=%RANDOM%-SELENIUM-SERVER-%RANDOM%
start "%TASK%" cmd /k start java -jar "path\selenium-server.jar"
ping -n 5 127.0.0.1 >NUL"
path\Gallio.Echo.exe" "path\MyAssembly.dll"
taskkill /T /FI "WINDOWTITLE eq %TASK%"

That really makes me feel dirty. That creates a CMD window with the random title that, in turn, starts the "java" in a separate window. The "/T" on TASKKILL will kill any child processes of the "FOO" window-- namely the "java" window.

I feel sick. >smile<

start /min cmd /c mycommand

If you want to run other jobs in the same shell you have to use powershell background jobs

If you want to hide the command window save a vbscript file with the following code(replacing the commands as needed) :

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell") 
WshShell.Run chr(34) & "C:\mycommand_path\mycommand and args" & Chr(34), 0
Set WshShell = Nothing

create a shortcut to this file and run this from the shell directly by double clicking it. It sounds like what you are really after is job control. Install the subsystem for unix to get the bash or ksh prompt and execute it from there if you want job control however it would not suprise me if running it as a background job causes issues. You will probably want to run it as a background process instead.