How to Check the Status Of the Last Command In Bash?

7 minutes read

To check the status of the last command in Bash, you can use the special variable $?. Here is a brief explanation:


Each time a command is executed in Bash, it returns an exit status. An exit status of 0 indicates success, while a non-zero exit status indicates an error or failure.


To check the exit status of the last executed command, you can simply print the value of the $? variable. Here's an example:

1
2
3
command
status=$?
echo "Exit status: $status"


In the above code snippet, replace command with the actual command you want to check. The exit status of that command will be stored in the $status variable, which is then printed using echo.


Note that the $? variable is overwritten every time a new command is executed. Therefore, if you want to preserve the exit status of a specific command for later use, you should store it in a separate variable like in the example above.

Best Linux Books to Read in 2024

1
Linux Bible

Rating is 5 out of 5

Linux Bible

2
Practical Linux Forensics: A Guide for Digital Investigators

Rating is 4.9 out of 5

Practical Linux Forensics: A Guide for Digital Investigators

3
The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction

Rating is 4.8 out of 5

The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction

4
How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know

Rating is 4.7 out of 5

How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know

5
CompTIA Linux+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Second Edition (Exam XK0-005)

Rating is 4.6 out of 5

CompTIA Linux+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Second Edition (Exam XK0-005)

6
CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide: Exam XK0-005 (Sybex Study Guide)

Rating is 4.5 out of 5

CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide: Exam XK0-005 (Sybex Study Guide)


How to display the result code of the last executed command in Bash?

To display the result code of the last executed command in Bash, you can use the special variable $?.


The value of $? is the exit code of the most recently executed command. It can range from 0 to 255, where 0 indicates success and any non-zero value represents an error or failure.


Here's an example of how you can display the result code in Bash:

1
2
your_command
echo "Result code: $?"


Replace your_command with the actual command you want to execute. The result code will be printed immediately after the command's output.


How to handle the status code of the last command in a Bash script?

To handle the status code of the last command in a Bash script, you can use the special variable $?. This variable holds the exit status of the previously executed command.


Here's an example of how you can use it:

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
#!/bin/bash

# Run a command and store its status code
some_command
status=$?

# Handle the status code
if [ $status -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "Command executed successfully."
else
    echo "Command failed with status code $status."
fi


In this script, the some_command is executed, and its status code is stored in the status variable using $?. The script then checks the value of status using an if statement. If the value is 0, it means the command executed successfully. Otherwise, it displays an appropriate error message, including the actual status code.


What does the error status code nonzero signify in Bash?

In Bash, a nonzero error status code signifies a command or script execution that has encountered an error or exception. Typically, a command or script returns an exit status of 0 if it succeeds, indicating that there were no errors. However, if a command or script encounters an error during its execution, it returns a nonzero (usually positive) exit status code to indicate a failure. Nonzero status codes are used to determine whether a command or script completed successfully or encountered any issues. Developers and system administrators often utilize these exit codes to handle errors, make decisions, or perform additional actions based on the command's outcome.


What is the significance of the exit status value 0 in Bash?

In Bash, the exit status value 0 holds significant meaning. It indicates that a command or program has successfully executed without any errors. When a command runs successfully, it generally returns an exit status value of 0 as an indication of its success.


Exit status values in Bash range from 0 to 255, where 0 denotes success and any non-zero value represents failure. This range allows for differentiation among different types of errors or failures.


The significance of the exit status value 0 lies in its usage in scripts and automation processes. It enables decision-making based on the success or failure of a command or program. For instance, in a script, one can include conditional statements that execute different actions based on the exit status value of a preceding command. If a command returns an exit status of 0, it can be assumed that it executed successfully, and the script can proceed accordingly.


Additionally, exit status values are commonly used in error handling and troubleshooting scenarios. A non-zero exit status value helps identify the cause of an error, allowing users to debug and resolve issues efficiently.


Overall, the exit status value 0 is vital in Bash as it allows for effective scripting, error handling, and automation by providing a clear indication of successful execution.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Whatsapp Pocket

Related Posts:

To use any bash command in a bash function, you simply need to define the desired command within the function block. You can include any valid bash command or series of commands within the function. For example, you can create a function that checks for the ex...
To pass a seconds variable from bash to Perl, you can use command line arguments. In your bash script, you can call the Perl script and pass the seconds variable as an argument. For example:Bash script: #!/bin/bash seconds=60 perl script.pl $seconds Perl scri...
To modify printf with the last -10 command in bash, you can use the !! shortcut to access the previous command and then pipe the output to printf with the desired format. For example, you can use the following command to print the last -10 command in a specifi...
To write a basic Bash script, follow these steps:Open a text editor and create a new file with a .sh extension (e.g., script.sh).Start the script with a shebang, which tells the system to interpret the commands using Bash. Use "#!/bin/bash" at the begi...
To run a Laravel project from a bash file, you can create a bash script that will execute the necessary commands to start the Laravel server.First, navigate to the root directory of your Laravel project in your terminal. Then, create a new bash file with a .sh...
To run a command in the background in Bash, you can use the following syntax: command & Here, command represents the actual command you want to run. By appending an ampersand (&) to the command, it instructs Bash to run the command in the background.Ru...