Bryan, Nate, Mark, Thanks for the help! Yep, the lack of a path preceding the timestamp file was my problem! I found an /asd.dat file in the root directory that had a bunch of entries in it! The DTMF to script line was working days ago, but the script was putting the data where I was not looking. I also found one in /root/asd.dat

714 = cmd,/etc/asterisk/ab.sh ; has been putting date-time in /asd.dat, not /etc/asterisk/ast.dat

I also found that when I ran it from CLI> !/etc/asterisk/ab.sh ; it was putting the stamps in /root/asd.dat. CLI> !pwd returns /root. But the script worked when I was linux prompt and #cd /etc/asterisk then #./ab.sh ;because I was in that working directory... now it all makes sense! THE SKY OPENED UP, THE SUN SHOWN FROM ABOVE, ANGELS SANG! I SEE THE LIGHT! The corrected version of the test script:

/etc/asterisk$ cat script: ab.sh #!/bin/bash echo 1234 date date >> /etc/asterisk/asd.dat

THANKS GUYS!!! Ed N3SDO