Eric, "> /dev/null 2>&1 " takes any output directed to stdout or stderr and redirects it to the bit bucket, /dev/null.
Specifically: * redirect stdout to /dev/null > /dev/null * redirect stderr to stdout 2>&1 A construct like this is often used in a crontab entry. -Joseph ========================================================================= If you use a construct like this in a crontab file, you On Fri, 2006-09-08 at 23:17 -0400, Eric Dunbar wrote: > On 07/09/06, Joseph E. Sacco, Ph.D. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Of course, a pipe should work, assuming sendmail is running. Here is an > > example: > > > > % ls | mail -s "output of ls" jsacco > /dev/null 2>&1 > > Question time: > > What does the "> /dev/null 2>&1" do? > > I understand that the | is the 'pipe' and it redirects the output from > the first command to the input for the second but what do the > following arguments do?: > '>' > '/dev/null 2' > '>&1' > > When I try: > ls | mail -s "output of ls" username > /dev/null 2>&1 > > and > > ls | mail -s "output of ls" username > > I get the same e-mail with either command. > > Thanks, Eric. > _______________________________________________ > yellowdog-general mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.terrasoftsolutions.com/mailman/listinfo/yellowdog-general > HINT: to Google archives, try '<keywords> site:terrasoftsolutions.com' -- joseph_sacco [at] comcast [dot] net _______________________________________________ yellowdog-general mailing list [email protected] http://lists.terrasoftsolutions.com/mailman/listinfo/yellowdog-general HINT: to Google archives, try '<keywords> site:terrasoftsolutions.com'
