gistfile1.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
from multiprocessing import Process, Pipe
from SimpleHTTPServer import SimpleHTTPRequestHandler
import SocketServer

ROOT = "."


def webserver(conn):
    PORT = 8000

    class MyOwnHandler(SimpleHTTPRequestHandler):

        def translate_path(self, path):
            global ROOT
            return ROOT + path.split('?')[0]

    httpd = SocketServer.TCPServer(("", PORT), MyOwnHandler)

    conn.send(["starting", PORT])
    httpd.serve_forever()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    parent_conn, child_conn = Pipe()
    p = Process(target=webserver, args=(child_conn,))
    p.start()
    print parent_conn.recv()   # prints "[42, None, 'hello']"
    print "muhahhahaha"
    p.join()