Bash Scripting – Write Output of Bash Command into Log File

Last Updated : 28 Nov, 2021

Let there are some situations in which you have to save your output in a file ( generally called log file). Output can be user details ( username, password, Gmail, etc. ), products record ( buying or selling any goods ), or simply any kind of data that you can store in a log file.

Let see how to write the output of the bash command into a log file.

Example 1 :

In this example, we can store the names of two-person in a log file.

First, create a log file named ” Log.txt ” by the following command

$ touch Log.txt

Note: ” Log.txt ” will store the output.

Now, create a bash script file by the following command

$ touch Name.sh

Note: ” Name.sh ” It is a bash script file that will take two names from the user and store it into ” Log.txt “

Now, open ” Name.sh ” in a text editor

$ nano Name.sh

Now write the following bash script in ” Name.sh ”

#!/bin/bash
echo "Enter First Person Name : "

# It will take input from user i.e.
# First Person Name
read FName

# It store First Person Name in Log.txt
echo "First Person Name : $FName">Log.txt
echo
echo "Enter Second Person Name : "

# It will take input from user i.e. 
# Second Person Name
read SName

# It append Second Person Name in Log.txt
echo "Second Person Name : $SName">>Log.txt

Note: Here, ‘ > ‘ it will create a new file with a specified name if the file does not exist and it will use to overwrite the data stored in the file ( i.e. ” Log.txt “). And ‘ >> ‘ it will create a new file with a specified name if the file does not exist and it will append the output data in the file ( i.e. ” Log.txt ” )

Now save and run ” Name.sh ” by the following command

$ chmod +x ./Name.sh
$ ./Name.sh

Output :

Output of Commands

As it is shown in the above picture that we take two inputs ” Sahil ” and ” Rakesh “. The output name will store in ” Log.txt “.

Output store in Log.txt

The above picture shows the ” Log.txt ” file that the output will store in the log file ( i.e. ” Log.txt ” ).

Example 2 :

In this example, we can store the student details

First, create a log file named ” Student_log.txt ” to store output using the below command

$ touch Student_log.txt

Now, create a bash script file by the following command

$ touch Student_details.sh

Now, open ” Student_details.sh ” in text editor

$ nano Student_details.sh

Now, write the following bash script in ” Student_details.sh ”

#!/bin/bash


# Save Date and Time of the bash script
# execution inside Student_log.txt
date>Student_log.txt

echo
echo "Student Details">>Student_log.txt 

echo "Name Of Student : "
read Name

# Store Name in Student_log.txt
echo "Student Name : $Name">>Student_log.txt
echo
echo "Roll No. Of Student : "
read RNo

# Store Roll No. in Student_log.txt
echo "Roll No. : $RNo">>Student_log.txt
echo
echo "Marks Obtained : "
read OMarks
echo "Total Marks : "
read TMarks

# calculate Percentage 
Percentage=$((OMarks*100/TMarks))

# Here it store Percentage in Student_log.txt
echo "Percentage : $Percentage">>Student_log.txt

Note: Here ” date ” command will show the date as well as the time of the execution of the ” date ” command

Now save and run ” Student_details.sh ” by the following command

$ chmod +x ./Student_details.sh
$ ./Student_details.sh

Output :

Output Of Command

As it is shown in the above picture that we store the date of program execution and student details as well as their percentage. The output will store in ” Student_log.txt “.