# Logging Rake shell command output

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/logging-rake-shell-command-output/109758>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [July 18, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/logging-rake-shell-command-output/109758 "2007-07-18T17:46:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/logging-rake-shell-command-output/109758/1 "2007-07-18T17:46:23Z")

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Has anyone else had the desire to log verbose shell command output  
with Rake instead of sending it to stdout?

For my Rake application I aliased FileUtils#sh to append “\>\> /tmp/  
mylogfile.log 2\>&1” to every command that Rake executes. While this  
gets the job done it’s always bothered me.

Is there any reason why Rake uses Kernel#system instead of the  
backtick operator?