def listening?(host, port)
      begin
        socket = TCPSocket.new(host, port)
        socket.close unless socket.nil?
        true
      rescue Errno::ECONNREFUSED, SocketError,
        Errno::EBADF,           # Windows
        Errno::EADDRNOTAVAIL    # Windows
        false
      end
    end
def listening?(host, port)
      begin
        socket = TCPSocket.new(host, port)
        socket.close unless socket.nil?
        true
      rescue Errno::ECONNREFUSED, SocketError,
        Errno::EBADF,           # Windows
        Errno::EADDRNOTAVAIL    # Windows
        false
      end
    end
courtesy of http://is.gd/eoYho