} > } } Use screen. } } http://jmcpherson.org/screen.html } http://gentoo-wiki.com/TIP_Using_screen im following your theory on recommendation yet not following based upon my scenario right now. maybe i should clarify... i am ssh'ing into a bash shell on a CentOS 4.1 server at a datacenter. it is just a backup dns server and so if i lose after a reboot, ill be ok. my access connection can go up and down at times so i was hoping that i could do a yum -y update & and later just come back and reboot it into 4.2 good idea or not? if not, please explain and thanks if i have to, ill install screen, yet will this simple yum update idea work??? - rh -- Robert Hanson - Abba Communications Computer & Internet Services www.abbacomm.net