note Perlbotics <p> Insert this line and the solution will reveal before your weary eyes... <c> print "$command ; echo COMMAND_RET:$? | sed 's/^/COMMAND_OUT: /g'; echo -n END_; echo EXPECT\n"; </c> Hint: You need to escape <c>$?</c>. </p> <p> Why not get rid of the sed-invocation? <c> $exp->send("$command ; echo 'COMMAND_OUT: COMMAND_RET:'\$?; echo END_EXPECT\n"); </c> Depending on the shells flavour of <c>echo</c>, you could also get rid of the second echo invocation. </p> 956108 956108