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# Exit Status

- exit code
- return status

## Purpose

The exit status is a numeric value that is returned by a program to the calling program or shell. In C programs, this is represented by the return value of the `main()` function or the value you give to `exit(3)`. The only part of the number that matters are the least significant 8 bits, which means there are only values from 0 to 255.

In the shell, every operation generates an exit status (return status), even if no program is called. An example for such an operation is a redirection.

The parameter to the

- `exit` (exit the shell/script)
- `return` (return from a function)

builtin commands serve the purpose of giving the exit status to the calling component.

This - and only this - makes it possible to determinate the success or failure of an operation. For scripting, always set exit codes.

## Values

The code is a number between 0 and 255, where the part from 126 to 255 is reserved to be used by the Bash shell directly or for special purposes, like reporting a termination by a signal:

Code Description

0 success 1-255 failure (in general) 126 the requested command (file) can't be executed (but was found) 127 command (file) not found 128 according to ABS it's used to report an invalid argument to the exit builtin, but I wasn't able to verify that in the source code of Bash (see code 255) 128 + N the shell was terminated by the signal N (also used like this by various other programs) 255 wrong argument to the exit builtin (see code 128)

The lower codes 0 to 125 are not reserved and may be used for whatever the program likes to report. A value of 0 means successful termination, a value not 0 means unsuccessful termination. This behavior (== 0, != 0) is also what Bash reacts on in some code flow control statements like `if` or `while`.

## Portability

Tables of shell behavior involving non-portable side-effects or common bugs with exit statuses. Note heirloom doesn't support pipeline negation (`! pipeline`).

### Misc

test bash\ bash\ zsh 5.0.2\ ksh93\ mksh\ posh\ dash\ busybox\ heirloom\ 4.2.45 (POSIX) (emulate ksh) 93v- 2013-03-18 R44 2013/02/24 0.11 0.5.7.3 1.2.1 050706

`:; : `false` `echo $? >&2`` 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

`false; eval; echo $?` 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0

`x=`false` eval echo \$?` 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

`eval echo \$? <&0`false`` 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

`while :; do ! break; done; echo $?` 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 -

discussion `false; : | echo $?` 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0

`(exit 2); for x in "`exit 3`"; do echo $?; done` 3 3 3 3 2 2 0 0 3

### functions

Measuring side-effects during the function call, during return, and transparency of the return builtin.

test bash bash\ zsh\ ksh93 mksh posh dash busybox heirloom (POSIX) (emulate ksh)

`f() { echo $?; }; :; f `false`` 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

`f() { return; }; false; f; echo $?` 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1

`f() { return $?; }; false; f; echo $?` 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

`f() { ! return; }; f; echo $?` 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 -

`f() { ! return; }; false; f; echo $?` 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 -

`f() { return; }; x=`false` f; echo $?` 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

`f() { return; }; f <&0`false`; echo $?` 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

`f() { x=`false` return; }; f; echo $?` 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

`f() { return <&0`false`; }; f; echo $?` 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

`f() { x=`false` return <&0`false`; }; f; echo $?` 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

### case..esac

Statuses measured within the command and after, with matching and non-matching patterns.

test bash bash\ zsh\ ksh93 mksh posh dash busybox heirloom (POSIX) (emulate ksh)

`(exit 2); case x in x) echo $?;; esac` 2 2 0 2 2 2 0 0 2

`(exit 2); case `exit 3`x in x) echo $?;; esac` 3 3 0 3 2 2 0 0 3

`(exit 2); case x in `exit 4`x) echo $?;; esac` 4 4 4 4 2 2 0 0 4

`(exit 2); case `exit 3`x in `exit 4`x) echo $?;; esac` 4 4 4 4 2 2 0 0 4

`(exit 2); case x in x);; esac; echo $?` 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

`(exit 2); case x in "");; esac; echo $?` 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

`(exit 2); case `exit 3`x in x);; esac; echo $?` 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3

`(exit 2); case `exit 3`x in "");; esac; echo $?` 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3

`(exit 2); case x in `exit 4`x);; esac; echo $?` 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4

`(exit 2); case x in `exit 4`);; esac; echo $?` 0 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 4

`(exit 2); case `exit 3`x in `exit 4`);; esac; echo $?` 0 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 4

`(exit 2); case `exit 3`x in `exit 4`x);; esac; echo $?` 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4

November 7, 2024
November 7, 2024

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