Can anyone see anything wrong with the approach I''ve taken in http://dev.rubyonrails.com/ticket/807 ? It seems the cleanest way of handling variables that may or may not be set without some serious commandline handling. I only ask because ticket 850 (handling the port number) could be handled the same way.. -- ''And if you think you''re going to bleed all over me you''re even wronger than you normally be'' -- The Specials, ''Little Bitch'' Rasputin :: Jack of All Trades - Master of Nuns