I don't know what your goal is but if this is a RedHat machine (even if it isn't) I have found that webmin makes an outstanding iptables configurator. In RedHat as you know the iptables service script is /etc/init.d/iptables. That script can/will save your current iptables rules in a configuration file called /etc/sysconfig/iptables. It loads the rules from that table when you start the iptables service. Webmin is a nice graphical interface to configure the firewall. Be careful so you don't set a rule to shut you out of webmin though or you will have to go to the console to undo the rule that has blocked you out.
If you already know this stuff just ignore it. Maybe you have another reason to use a script for above/beyond type of configuration. The webmin way is nice, neat and clean and uses the system's predefined way of setting up your firewall.
[ December 05, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]