Damn it - won't work :(

#!/usr/bin/perl

# example paths can be:
# apachectl
# apache2ctl 
# httpd
my $path = 'httpd';

print "Content-Type: text/html \n\n"; 

print "Perl: " . $] . "<br />";

my $output = `$path -v`;
my $output2 = system(qq|$path -v|);

print "OUTPUT: ($path -v) " . $output . "<br />";
print "OUTPUT 2: ($path -v, as system()) " . $output2 . "<br />";

my @split = split /:/, $output;

if ($split[1] !~ /\d\.\d\.\d/) {
  print qq|Cant find Apache version <br />|;  
} else {
  print qq|$split[1] <br />|;
}
[download]

..yet all that gives is:

Perl: 5.008004
OUTPUT: (httpd -v)
OUTPUT 2: (httpd -v, as system()) -1
Cant find Apache version
[download]

Seems that it doesn't like giving the results with `` or system(). Any suggestions? TIA Andy