How to Handle Errors in Bash Scripts in 2025?

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by R O ♚

Bash scripting remains a fundamental skill for system administrators and developers even as we step into 2025. Error handling is a crucial part of writing robust and efficient bash scripts. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the best practices and techniques you should employ to handle errors effectively in your bash scripts.

Understanding Error Handling in Bash

Error handling in bash scripts is essential to identify, fix, and prevent errors during execution. Unlike full-fledged programming languages that offer structured error-handling constructs, bash relies on exit statuses and built-in commands. Every command in bash returns an exit status which signifies success (0) or failure (non-zero).

1. Use Exit Statuses

The simplest way to handle errors is by checking the exit status of commands. You can do this by examining the special variable $?, which holds the exit code of the last executed command.

#!/bin/bash

ls /nonexistent_directory
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "Error: Directory does not exist."
    exit 1
fi

2. Implement `set` Command Options

Bash provides the set built-in command to control the behavior of scripts and enhance error handling. Important options include:

-e: Exit immediately if a command exits with a non-zero status.
-u: Treat unset variables as an error and exit immediately.
-o pipefail: Return the exit code of the last command that returned a non-zero status in a pipeline.

#!/bin/bash
set -eu -o pipefail


grep "search_term" /nonexistent_file
echo "This line will not be executed if grep fails."

3. Use `trap` Command

To execute cleanup commands or provide user feedback on script exit or errors, use the trap command. It catches signals and errors, allowing specified actions to be performed.

#!/bin/bash

trap "echo 'An error occurred! Exiting...'; exit 1" ERR


cp /nonexistent_file /destination

4. Implement Conditional Logic

Leverage conditional statements like if and case to handle specific error scenarios and make decisions based on command success or failure.

#!/bin/bash

if ! mkdir /existing_directory 2>/dev/null; then
    echo "Failed to create directory as it already exists."
fi

For more insights on conditional logic, explore this guide on bash scripting.

Advanced Techniques

5. Logging and Debugging

Logging error messages to a file can be invaluable for debugging. Redirect error output to a log file using 2> and employ set -x for debug tracing, which prints each command before executing it.

#!/bin/bash
exec 2>error.log
set -x


rm /nonexistent_file

6. Regular Expressions in Error Management

Utilizing bash regular expressions can help in pattern matching and managing specific error strings. This can streamline prompt responses based on error types.

For more on regex in bash, visit this blog on bash regex.

Transitioning to PowerShell

As you build proficiency in error handling in bash, you might consider learning other scripting languages like PowerShell, especially if your work transitions from Unix to Windows environments. For a seamless conversion of bash special characters to PowerShell, refer to this conversion guide.

Conclusion

Handling errors in bash scripts is indispensable for maintaining robust, efficient, and error-free scripts. By leveraging exit statuses, set command options, trap, logging, and regex, you can create resilient scripts that withstand possible issues. As you script in 2025, remember that learning and adapting to emerging best practices will enhance your efficiency and script reliability.