Re: error messages not getting logged when running script from cron

On 11/23/2015 12:21 PM, Tom Lane wrote:
>> >0 20 * * * db_backup.sh 1> /dev/null 2>&1 | mail -s "backup cron"
>> >myemail@comp.com
>> >I am re-directing stderr to stdout and then sending that to email.
> Uh, read it again: you're redirecting stdout to /dev/null and then
> redirecting stderr to go where stdout goes.  So all output is
> going to the bit bucket, not the pipe.


the 2>&1 notation is not completely intuitive....    if you want to
redirect stderr to the pipe and bitbucket stdout, do it in the opposite
order.

    ....   2>&1 1> /dev/null | ...

that sends stderr to the file that stdout was assigned, and sends stdout
to the bit bucket...   note specifically that redirecting stdout won't
affect the file stderr is being sent.


--
john r pierce, recycling bits in santa cruz