Thanks for your replies...I haven't been here in a longgg...time...:)

Here is the code I used from the referenced link except WITH the '$number_of_characters' var pre-defined:

#!/usr/bin/perl -w -d

use Authen::Captcha;

      # create a new object
      my $captcha = Authen::Captcha->new();

      # set the data_folder. contains flatfile db to maintain state
      $captcha->data_folder('/usr/home1/user123/public_html/folder01')
+;

      # set directory to hold publicly accessable images
      $captcha->output_folder('/usr/home1/user123/public_html/folder01
+/images');

      # I created this variable's value
      my $number_of_characters = 6;

      # create a captcha. Image filename is "$md5sum.png"
      my $md5sum = $captcha->generate_code($number_of_characters);

      # check for a valid submitted captcha
      #   $code is the submitted letter combination guess from the use
+r
      #   $md5sum is the submitted md5sum from the user (that we gave 
+them)
      my $results = $captcha->check_code($code,$md5sum);
      # $results will be one of:
      #          1 : Passed
      #          0 : Code not checked (file error)
      #         -1 : Failed: code expired
      #         -2 : Failed: invalid code (not in database)
      #         -3 : Failed: invalid code (code does not match crypt)
      ##############
[download]

Let me know if you need additional info.

Thanks.

  EDIT: changed above: '$number_of_characters = 6;' to 'my $number_of_characters = 6;'

(haven't edited a Perl script much recently either...)