diff --git a/MSID_limit/compare_database_and_update.py b/MSID_limit/compare_database_and_update.py
index c11030a..acf1126 100755
--- a/MSID_limit/compare_database_and_update.py
+++ b/MSID_limit/compare_database_and_update.py
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 import unittest
 import time
 import Chandra.Time
+from pathlib import Path
+from kadi.occweb import get_auth
+import requests
 
 #--- reading directory list
 #
@@ -361,16 +364,15 @@ def download_glimmon():
     cmd = 'mv -f  ' + glimmon + ' ' + glimmon + '~'
     os.system(cmd)
 
-    with open('/home/isobe/.occpass' , 'r') as f:
-        out = f.read().strip()
 #
 #--- download the database
 #
-    cmd = 'curl -u tisobe:' + out 
-    cmd = cmd + ' https://occweb.cfa.harvard.edu/occweb/FOT/engineering/thermal/'
-    cmd = cmd + 'AXAFAUTO_RSYNC/G_LIMMON_Archive/glimmondb.sqlite3 > ' +  glimmon
 
-    os.system(cmd)
+    url = 'https://occweb.cfa.harvard.edu/occweb/FOT/engineering/thermal/AXAFAUTO_RSYNC/G_LIMMON_Archive/glimmondb.sqlite3'
+    # get_auth() will look for occweb credentials in $HOME/.netrc
+    response = requests.get(url, auth=get_auth(), timeout=30)
+    Path('glimmondb.sqlite3').write_bytes(response.content)
+
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #-- test_and_save: save a copy of op_limit.db and glimon to Past_data directory         --
@@ -401,20 +403,20 @@ def test_and_save():
 #--- update the main mta limit database
 #
     if len(data) < 1:
-        cmd = 'rm '  + temp_opfile
+        cmd = f'rm {temp_opfile}'
         os.system(cmd)
     else:
-        cmd  = 'mv ' + temp_opfile + ' ' + main_dir +'op_limits.db'
+        cmd  = f'mv {temp_opfile} {main_dir}/op_limits.db'
         os.system(cmd)
 
         tail = time.strftime("%m%d%y", time.gmtime())
-        cmd  = 'cp ' + main_dir + 'op_limits.db ' + main_dir + 'Past_data/op_limits.db_' + tail
+        cmd  = f'cp {main_dir}/op_limits.db {main_dir}/Past_data/op_limits.db_{tail}'
         os.system(cmd)
 
-        cmd = 'cp -f ' + main_dir + glimmon  + '/data/mta4/MTA/data/op_limits/.'
+        cmd = f'cp -f {glimmon} /data/mta4/MTA/data/op_limits/.'
         os.system(cmd)
 
-        cmd = 'cp ' + main_dir  +  glimmon + ' ' + main_dir + 'Past_data/' + glimmon + '_' + tail
+        cmd = f'cp {glimmon} {main_dir}/Past_data/glimmondb.sqlite3_{tail}'
         os.system(cmd)
 #
 #--- notify the changes to admin person