From: Lisa Kachold [snip] > Would this work to append to the line [containing 'unique']: > sed -e 's/unique/ $username/' /etc/samba/smb.conf In ./smb.conf : [fred] valid users = unique fred # end ./smb.conf mallory:~$ username=JOEBOB mallory:~$ sed -e 's/unique/ $username/' smb.conf [fred] valid users = $username fred # end smb.conf mallory:~$ sed -e "s/unique/ $username/" smb.conf [fred] valid users = JOEBOB fred # end smb.conf ...things in '' aren't subject to bash variable expansion, and running sed on a file will send that file to stdout. As I wrote in my message to PLUG at 12:35pm today, you probably want something like: sed -e "s/\(.*valid users.*\)/\1 $username/" -i /etc/samba/smb.conf ...which will edit -in-place /etc/samba/smb.conf so that $username is appended to lines that contain "valid users". -- Matt G / Dances With Crows The Crow202 Blog: http://crow202.org/wordpress/ There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss