Linux Redirect Error Output To File

I

am a new Ubuntu Linux and bash shell user. I also know how to redirect output from display/screen to a file using the following syntax:

cmd > file

ls > file

However, some time errors are displayed on screen. How do I store and redirect output from the computer screen to a file on a Linux or Unix-like systems?

 

Bash / ksh and other modern shell on Linux has three file descriptors:

stdin (0)

stdout (1)

stderr (2)

Syntax To redirect all output to file

The syntax is as follows to redirect output (stdout) as follows:

command-name >  output.txt

command-name >  stdout.txt

Syntax To redirect all error to file

The syntax is as follows to redirect errors (stderr) as follows:

command-name 2> errors.txt

command-name 2> stderr.txt

Syntax to redirect both output (stdout) and errors (stderr) to different files

The syntax:

command1 > out.txt 2> err.txt

command2 -f -z -y > out.txt 2> err.txt

Syntax to redirect both output (stdout) and errors (stderr) to same file

The syntax is:

command1 > everything.txt 2>&1

command1 -arg > everything.txt 2>&1

Syntax to redirect errors (stderr) to null or zero devices

Data written to a null or zero special file is discarded by your system. This is useful to silence out errors (also know as ‘error spam’):

command1 2> /dev/null

command1 2> /dev/zero

command2 -arg 2> /dev/null

command2 -arg 2> /dev/zero

Tip: Use tee command to redirect to both a file and the screen same time

The syntax is:

command1 |& tee log.txt

or ##

command1 -arg |& tee log.txt

or ##

command1 2>&1 | tee log.txt

Another usage:

#!/bin/bash

# My script to do blah …

foo(){

:

} 2>&1 | tee foo.log

OR

#!/bin/bash

# My script to do blah …

{

command1

command2

} 2>&1 | tee script.log