ok Geoff's suggestion was a far better way of doing things. especially from a security stand point. just telnet ip address login with your normal user account and then type su with no parameters You'll be prompted for a password. type yer root password and bingo. -- Shaun Oliver It's multiple choice time... What is FORTRAN? a: Between thre and fiv tran. b: What two computers engage in before they interface. c: Ridiculous.