UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hello all,

Just curious. I have several unix echo commands(echo Y > file.txt) running in parallel(each directs a value of 'Y' to the same file). What happens if 2 echo's collide(trying to the write to the same file at the same time)? Not sure how unix deals with this.

Thanks

Robert

It overwrites because
When you use the > for redirecting standard to the file, Unix puts what would appear in standard output into the file. This erases what would previously have been in the file.

and you would be left with just the last changes of the script which ever ends the last

If you want to capture all the chages use appending ie ">>"

HTH,
PL