I'm all for helping people with their questions and problems...heaven knows, I've needed my share of help with things, but I don't usually ask until I've performed some level of research. Having said that, I hope that you will all accept my apologies for any interpreted attitude in what follows. > I want to know the right command to type from a bash shell so that i can > 1) Check the version of my cent os http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=Check+the+version+of+my+cent+os > 2) Check all the open ports (tcp and udp) on my machine http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=How+can+I+list+all+the+open+TCP+and+UDP+ports+on+my+system%3F > 3) Open a specific port say port 3306 so that a telnet request from a > remote machiene can be accepted > > 4) Disable the effect of 3 above in case I want to http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=How+can+I+open+or+close+a+specific+port+in+my+iptables+configuration%3F > Thanks in anticiaption of your kind responses to the questions above. You're welcome. -- Mike Burger http://www.bubbanfriends.org "It's always suicide-mission this, save-the-planet that. No one ever just stops by to say 'hi' anymore." --Colonel Jack O'Neill, SG1