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Full Discussion: $? = Exit status variable
Top Forums UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers $? = Exit status variable Post 302279233 by zaxxon on Thursday 22nd of January 2009 06:59:36 AM
Old 01-22-2009
Generally this depends on the binary/program you started before echoing $?. If it has an error message as output, then you can see this. Usually it's written to stderr or stdout, depending how the programmer has written it.

The ranges you posted is probably more a guideline.

If you want to write your own error message translation, just test with "if/then/fi", if $? is >=1 or <=254 and print out the error you want.
 

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LEARN ABOUT DEBIAN

mdm-run

MDM-RUN(1)							   User Commands							MDM-RUN(1)

NAME

       mdm-run - run a command in parallel with mdm-master

SYNOPSIS

       mdm-run command
       mdm-sync command

DESCRIPTION

       mdm-run	annotates  command  as	a  candidate  for parallel execution.  If an mdm-master process is present (i.e., the environment variable
       MDM_CMD_SOCK is defined), mdm-run submits command to the mdm-master, and it exits when the  master  issues  the	command  to  an  mdm-slave
       process	(which may be connected to another terminal) for execution.  mdm-sync runs command in place, but it coordinates with mdm-master to
       ensure that executing command does not interfere with commands that are currently executing in parallel.

       If there is no mdm-master process present (i.e., the environment variable MDM_CMD_SOCK is not defined), both mdm-run  and  mdm-sync  simply
       run command as if you entered command all by itself.

       These programs are a part of the Middleman System (mdm).

OPTIONS

       Neither mdm-run nor mdm-sync accepts any options.

EXIT STATUS

       If  there is no mdm-master process present, the exit status of mdm-run is the exit status of command.  If an mdm-master process is present,
       the exit status is 0 if and only if command is successfully issued to an mdm-slave process for execution.

       The exit status of mdm-sync is always the exit status of command.

ENVIRONMENT

       The mdm system uses the following environment variable for internal communication, and thus you should not try to set them yourself.

       MDM_CMD_SOCK
	      mdm-run uses this environment variable to decide whether a mdm-master process is present.

EXAMPLE

       See mdm.screen(1) for an example use of mdm-run.

SEE ALSO

       mdm.screen(1)

Linux								    2009-03-06								MDM-RUN(1)
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