Shell Scripting / Bash Tricks

Stop using echo to debug your scripts and use set -x properly

🧩 The Challenge

Everyone reaches for echo to figure out where a script is failing, but then you end up with hundreds of debug lines that you have to delete once it works. It’s a mess and it’s a total waste of time.

💡 The Fix

Instead of littering your code with print statements, just turn on shell tracing for the specific section that is driving you crazy. It shows you exactly what the shell is doing before it executes.

set -x
# Your messy block of logic here
set +x

⚙️ Why It Works

This tells bash to print every command to stderr prefixed with a plus sign, which effectively lets you watch the execution flow in real-time. By wrapping it with the +x toggle, you only see the noise for the specific loop or logic you are trying to untangle.

🚀 Pro-Tip: Use PS4=’+${BASH_SOURCE}:${LINENO}:’ to include the file name and line number in your trace output.

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 11/14/2026