Understanding Shell Exit Codes: How $? Reveals Command Success or Failure

This article explains how a command’s exit status indicates success or failure in Unix shells, describes the meaning of common return codes, introduces the special $? variable, and provides a comprehensive Bash script example demonstrating various exit scenarios and custom status handling.

BashScriptingShell

0 likes · 4 min read

Understanding Shell Exit Codes: How $? Reveals Command Success or Failure

ITPUB

Apr 28, 2016 · Fundamentals

What Does $? Mean in Bash? Mastering Exit Status and Conditional Commands

This article explains the special shell variable $?, how it returns the exit status of the previous command, demonstrates its use with practical examples, and shows how to combine it with && and || for conditional execution in Linux scripts.

BashScriptingShell

0 likes · 5 min read

What Does $? Mean in Bash? Mastering Exit Status and Conditional Commands