I want to automate a regular telnet to a non-Unix hot that accepts a telnet connection. There is some simple dialog to identify a file. Then I would use FTP to download the file. How can I automate the telnet dialog? AP

You can use expect to interact scripts with programs....or possibly do the whole thing in perl with the Net::Telnet module, eg: use Net::Telnet; $telnet = new Net::Telnet ( Timeout=>10, Errmode=>'die'); $telnet->open('camel.perlfect.com'); $telnet->waitfor('/login: $/i'); $telnet->print('bilbo'); $telnet->waitfor('/password: $/i'); $telnet->print('baggins'); $telnet->waitfor('/\$ $/i'); $telnet->print('who'); $output = $telnet->waitfor('/\$ $/i'); print $output; or use Net::Telnet; $telnet = new Net::Telnet ( Timeout=>10, Errmode=>'die' Prompt => '/\$ $/i'); $telnet->open('camel.perlfect.com'); $telnet->login('bilbo', 'baggins'); print $telnet->cmd('who'); You should also be able to run the FTP command from the script too....