Hello all,

I am new to Linux, and I am currently have some trouble with a simple text command:

I am using echo "test 1 2 3">~root/testfile.txt. Nothing happens. It just goes to the next line with no output. When I use something like echo "Linux is interesting", the text will appear. But not in the case when I use the top version? Should I be declaring a specific path? Other commands work, but the very top one does nothing?

Thank you all for your help or direction? Can anyone recommend a good reference guide as well?

Thanks,

Ziggs

Sorry - posted to the wrong thread. Ignore what I wrote ...

first you shold NOT!!! be running as root !!! for normal everyday things

try this as your NON root user

how do you know nothing happened?

This is a perfect, and easy question for me to answer… I'm currently studying "Linux System Administration Certification", the course material has gone over this…
I'm going to do my best to explain it, hopefully somebody with a bit more experience will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.

Your second "echo command", is taking what you put in between quotation marks… And it's "redirecting", What you had put between the quotation marks and putting it into a text file That you named "testfile.txt", This newly created text file is in your root directory.

I'm assuming you did this as a root user, otherwise it would've told you… That you don't have permission to do this.

There is no directory named ~root - ~ = your home directory, whilst /root would put into the root directory if you have permission to write there.

(If you want to append to that file, rather than over write it, use >> instead of >)

1 members found this post helpful.

~root is the home directory of the user root, and is the equivalent of /root in RHEL and derivative distros

OP: as 907_N8tiv pointed out, your command is creating a file in /root named testfile.txt You can view it with Welcome, 907_N8tiv !

1 members found this post helpful.

Why should you not use it for everyday things?

So the instructions to write that command and get an output are incorrect? I should use >> instead?

Thank you

Lets start over...
The command
Will display test 1 2 3 in the terminal which is also known as stdout.

The ">" means redirect stdout to a file. Instead of displaying "test 1 2 3" in the terminal the string is written to a file called filename. This is why you do not see anything. The following link explains redirection.

www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/io-redirection.html

As stated it depends on the distribution but

~ is a shortcut for the current users home directory i.e /home/username
~root instead of expanding to /home/username/root expands to /root

We assume since you posted that you did not see anything or an error message which means you are logged in as root. As stated you should be logged in as a regular user and not root.

2 members found this post helpful.

There is no need to run as root/administrator for ordinary usage. The root/admin user is for modifying/managing the system. If you do an online search with 'dangers of running linux as root' or similar and you will find countless sites explaining all the pitfalls.

Why should you not use it for everyday things?dangers of running linux as root

I still don't understand (but probably it is only me?). In post #4 I asked how OP "detected" that nothing happened - no answer. The statement probably true, but that definitely does not mean nothing happened at all.
How can you (we) give any answer without knowing the real (original) problem?
post #6 is false ~user is the home dir of user, so ~root is the home of root (usually /root) - this was already explained.
in post #9 using >> and/or > is not related to ~root at all, but probably related to the original issue. The question "to write that command and get an output are incorrect" is a bit strange, I don't know what kind of output do you expect? Why do you think it (any command) should print anything? Both > and >> are silent, will not print anything just in case of an error (and also depends on the redirection target).
"you should logged in as regular user, not root" is not related to the original question again, although it is recommended.
here are two links to understand redirection: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prog-Intro-HOWTO-3.html, http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/io-redirection.html
And finally, executing the original command (as root) echo "test 1 2 3">~root/testfile.txt will definitely do something, it will create the specified file and the content will be "test 1 2 3". But if you execute this command again and again it will create the same file again and again with the same content again. But it is still "something", the command always create a new file - or drop an error message. You can check it by: ls -l ~root/testfile.txt.

Hello! Appreciate your help! Well, I can only assume nothing happened as it went back to the same starting line right under it. Unless it happened in the background where I cannot see? I was expecting it to output "1 2 3" testfile. I know I should not be using the root user, but this is how it it needs to be done. I greatly appreciate your feedback!! I will try what you stated and see what comes of it.

Thank you!! All of you who posted on the thread as well.

Yes, something happened but due to using redirection i.e. > the output was written to a file instead of the screen. If you look in the /root directory there should be a fIle called testfile.txt and it's content are test 1 2 3.