Capturing stderr in ksh script within a script

Shell Programming and Scripting
1

I have seen lots of entries on stderr and stdout, but I did not see a solution to my question.

In running a script, I call another script. I want to capture output and error messages from the called script. I am able to redirect the stdout from the called script to my output file, but I don't seem able to capture the stderr portion.

Here is my line calling the script:

$READSCRIPT $ERRFILE | grep $RECNUMBER:   >> $MAILFILE 2>&1

$READSCRIPT is the outside script I am calling.
$ERRFILE is a file name parameter I am passing to that script
$MAILFILE is the output file

When I run the script: sh -x tim_gap
Here is an example of an error message in the screen output:
gzcat: 00035146.20110829_-_2342+1900.gz: No such file or directory

However, when I look at my output file, $MAILFILE, the error message does not exist. I do capture the stdout messages into $MAILFILE. Am I using the proper syntax?

I appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks.

2

You have to redirect it right when you run the command, not after the pipe. stderr doesn't pass through the pipe, it goes directly to the terminal.

3

Thanks for the reminder.

Here is the code I ended up using so that I could keep the order of the message:

$READSCRIPT $ERRFILE  2> $READERROR | grep $RECNUMBER: >> $MAILFILETMP
if [ -s $READERROR ]
then
    cat $READERROR >> $MAILFILETMP
fi