Quick Tip

Unified Logging with `stderr` to `stdout` Redirection

Challenge: When troubleshooting, you often have important error messages (stderr) and standard output (stdout) mixed up or sent to different locations, making it difficult to get a complete picture of what’s happening.

The Solution: Redirect standard error to standard output using the `2>&1` operator.

command_that_might_error &> output.log

Why it works: The `&>` is a shortcut for `&1 > output.log 2>&1`. This redirects both stdout (file descriptor 1) and stderr (file descriptor 2) to the same file, `output.log`, ensuring all output is captured in one place for easier analysis.

Pro-Tip: Use this with `tee` to see the output on your screen and save it to a file simultaneously: `command_that_might_error 2>&1 | tee combined_output.log`

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 4/27/2026