I need heeelp. please I am stuck writing a "loop" script that will ask a user for a file name , then copy the file 5 times automatically, and the destination names have to be the same as the foriginal file name but with 1,2,3, etc. added( cp file to file1 file2, file3, etc.) I used "for, while until,and case" still cant get it to work. pleease heelp.

Sounds like homework, why don't you show us what you have so far. How about the 'while' version.

Thanks for the reply; however, there is no need for help any more. I actually did it, and I felt like a stupid A** for not realizing what I was doing wrong because it was getting late 2 am, and I had a brain freez; nevertheless, and for the benefit of other begenners like my self, here is what I did wrong: read FILE for FILE in 1 2 3 4 do cp $FILE $FILE$FILE I know sooo stupid, you see the "read" var. was supposed to be "file" not "FILE", and the it will look like this: read file for FILE in 1 2 3 4 do cp $file $file$FILE this is just part of the script, but it was the part that I messed up. any way thanks again, and if you are trying to tell me that "while" can do this, I'll love to know how, I just can't see it.