Hey Ben!   
      
    BR> echo -ne "\x01MSGID: 1:393/68 $(printf "%08x" $date +%s))\x0d"   
    BR> but I get an error (line 6: printf: +%s: invalid number)   
      
   That is a syntax error as you are missing the preceding '(' in the   
   date command.  It should be '$(date +%s)' and from what I see above   
   it is '$date +%s)'.  The rest looks great but incomplete for the   
   autoposting idea.  You are on the right track with the MSGID and with   
   the small edit it will be perfect.  The hard part will be the perl   
   call for both PKT and MSG header creation and there is one more 'date'   
   call we will need for the PKT header that looks somewhat like this;   
      
     PKT_DATE=( $(date +"%Y %-m %-d %-H %-M %-S") )   
      
   The above creates an ordered 6 integer bash array PKT_DATE.  However   
   the second integer is wrong with respect to the FTN PKT header value   
   for month since 'date' outputs months as 1..12 instead of 0..11.   
   It can be fixed with;   
      
     let "PKT_DATE[1] -= 1"   
      
   This will complete all the required FTN time/date stuff required for   
   this particular idea.   
      
   What do you think?  Are we ready for a more complete solution?  From my   
   perspective it is the external perl call that is the toughest to absorb   
   but I already have done the original footwork required and am willing   
   to take however long it takes for you to become more comfortable with   
   all this.   
      
   Life is good,   
   Maurice   
      
   --- GNU bash, version 4.2.10(2)-release (x86_64-atom-linux-gnu)   
    * Origin: Pointy Stick Society (1:261/38.9)