The problem with it is some ****** made it an XML file instead of a flat file like all config files were meant to be. That makes your script either horrendously complex (implement a proper XML parser in awk) or ugly hackery (depend on the formatting details characteristic of how MicroB outputs it, rather than the XML's formatting-indifferent structure). XML config files: a solution in search of a problem! Crushing souls and fighting the UNIX way since... well, whenever the !@#$ *****s started using them.