Quick Tip

Tame Your Logs: Unified `stderr` and `stdout` with `2>&1`

Challenge: When running commands, especially in scripts or while troubleshooting, you often want to capture both standard output (stdout) and standard error (stderr) into a single log file. By default, they are directed to different streams, making it difficult to get a complete picture.

The Solution: Redirect both stdout and stderr to the same destination using the `2>&1` syntax.

your_command > output.log 2>&1

Why it works: The `>` symbol redirects stdout (file descriptor 1) to `output.log`. The `2>&1` then redirects stderr (file descriptor 2) to wherever stdout is currently pointing, which is `output.log` in this case.

Pro-Tip: For appending instead of overwriting, use `>>` for stdout: `your_command >> output.log 2>&1`

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 5/26/2026