>I want ot do ftp operations with a script, maybe kicking off > that script from a cron job. > > ftp < scriptfile >out1 >&out2~ maybe ftp < scriptfile >out1 2>out2 &~ That should grab "standard error" as well as "standard out".~ Maybe. Or else it is trying to make an ioctl call, program that do~ than cannot be controled in this manner (try it with vi once.)