From: David > line="password requisite /lib/security/$ISA/pam_cracklib.so > newline="password required /lib/security/$ISA/pam_cracklib.so > I need to maintain whitespace > > perl -p -i -e s/"$line"/"$newline"/ file > > That tosses out all kinds of errors Modern regexp engines allow you to use an arbitrary char as the pattern delimiter. If I've got slashes in my patterns, I tend to use # as the delimiter, which allows you to avoid Leaning Toothpick Syndrome. Other people may use | . # is visually distinctive and not as common as / in some string-replace contexts, though: perl -p -i -e 's#"$line"#"$newline"#' file -- 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.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss