Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-06-03

How to Fix: With bash, how can I pipe standard error into another process?

Redirect standard error to another process in bash.

Quick Answer: Use the 2>&1 syntax, where 2 is the file descriptor for standard error, and 1 is the file descriptor for standard output. For example: proc1 2>&1 | proc2.

To pipe the standard error of a process into another process, you can use the 2>& redirection operator. This tells bash to redirect both the standard output and standard error to the specified destination.

⚠️ Example Usage

proc1 2>& proc2

This will send the standard error of proc1 to proc2, while leaving the standard output going to its current location.

🔧 Explanation

The 2>& redirection operator works by first redirecting the standard output (1>) to the specified destination, and then appending the standard error (2>) to that same destination. This ensures that both outputs are sent to the correct place.

💡 Conclusion

By using the 2>& redirection operator, you can easily pipe standard error into another process in bash.

Did this fix your problem?

If not, try searching for specific error codes.

🔍 Search Error Database

❓ Frequently Asked Questions