What will be the output of the following command if file.txt does not exist?

medium📝 Command Output Q13 of 15

Bash Scripting - File Operations in Scripts

What will be the output of the following command if file.txt does not exist?

cat file.txt > output.txt 2>&1

ARedirects both output and error messages to output.txt

BCreates an empty output.txt file with no error message

COutputs the error message to the terminal and creates output.txt

DThrows a syntax error and does nothing

Step-by-Step Solution

Solution:

Step 1: Understand redirection 2>&1
This redirects standard error (2) to the same place as standard output (1).
Step 2: Analyze command behavior when file missing
cat tries to read file.txt, fails, and sends error to stderr, which is redirected to output.txt along with stdout.
Final Answer:
Redirects both output and error messages to output.txt -> Option A
Quick Check:
2>&1 merges error into output [OK]

Quick Trick: 2>&1 sends errors to the same place as output [OK]

Common Mistakes:

MISTAKES

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