A modified code snippet that will remove the leading <nn> facility/priority indicator when shlepping log lines to an external proggie: <code> #! /bin/bash # this line enables the extended globbing in bash to make this possible shopt -s extglob while read LOGLINE do echo ${LOGLINE/+([0-9<>])} | mail wakemeup@noon.ok done </code> -- I hope that at this artificial inflation of a small species into the absolute measure of things one is still permitted to laugh?