Skip to main content

Error Checking: Verify Commands Succeed

Check if commands succeed. Handle errors. Important.

Here's the thing: Check for errors. Handle them. Don't ignore them.

Check Exit Code​

command
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "Success"
else
    echo "Failed"
fi

My take: Check $? after commands. Handle errors.

Inline Check​

if command; then
    echo "Success"
fi

My take: Inline check is cleaner. Use it.

set -e​

#!/bin/bash
set -e
command1
command2

My take: set -e exits on error. Use it.

Common Patterns​

Check Before Use​

if ! command; then
    echo "Error: command failed"
    exit 1
fi

What's Next?​

Now that you understand error checking, let's talk about set Options.

Personal note: I used to ignore errors. Then things broke. Now I check always. It prevents problems. Do it.