Prints error messages to stdout

[Johan Walles]

Binary package hint: bind9-host

I'm on bind9-host version 1:9.4.2.dfsg.P2-2 (hardy).

The "host" command prints error messages to stdout.

They should be printed to stderr.

Printing them to stdout leads to problems like these:
http://bugs.debian.org/375787
http://bugs.debian.org/482375

Repro:
johan@transwarp:/tmp/tjo/bind9-9.4.2.dfsg.P2$ host assasgffgds
Host assasgffgds not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)
johan@transwarp:/tmp/tjo/bind9-9.4.2.dfsg.P2$ host assasgffgds > /dev/null
johan@transwarp:/tmp/tjo/bind9-9.4.2.dfsg.P2$ echo $?
1

Wikipedia entry about stderr says that its purpose is "to provide the best chance of being seen even if standard output is redirected":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_streams#Standard_error_.28stderr.29

[Johan Walles (walles)]

LaMont, how did this become "Wishlist"?

I tried to change that classification but couldn't unfortunately :-(.

This is still broken in Karmic (1:9.6.1.dfsg.P1-3ubuntu0.2) and "host" still can't be reliably used in any kind of scripts.

[Johan Walles (walles)]

Reading my last comment it really comes through as harsh, which wasn't my intent. Sorry about the tone.

This bug has been wrongly classified as Wishlist though, and it is still an issue in Karmic.

  Regards //Johan