> My problem is:
> I have an UDF function in my Linux Firebird Server that calls an
> external program (a perl script actually). That script connects to
> another FDB Server. The problem is that whenever I execute that
> function, my Linux FDB hangs and doesn't run the script.
> I tried running the script under "firebird" user, and it runs OK.
> If I avoid the connecting-to-another-FDB part in the script, it runs
> OK from within the Linux Firebird Server.
> Thanx a lot.
> Lucas
>

another way to put what helen is saying..
UDFs are expected to be "non-blocking" operations.
A connection to another database from inside the UDF dll is regarded as
blocking because it takes longer than the primary engine is expecting a UDF
to take.
Not good practice since the engine does not have the ability to manage it's
threads around "long running" UDFs
Alan