> here you go: > COLUMNS=$(stty -a | sed -e 's/.*rows \([0-9]\+\).*/\1/' -e 1q) Oh great, i forgot about stty, I'm using COLUMNS=$(stty -a | sed -e 's/.*columns \([0-9]\+\).*/\1/' -e 1q) now ;-) thanks so far! cheers Alex -- Alexander Krause Amtmann-Kästner-Platz 11 99091 Erfurt Mail alexander.krause at erazor-zone.de Tel. +49 (179) 4725826