gcc -v --help is inconsistent about where it places its output. If I try to redirect the output to a file (which is rather a reasonable thing to do, given how long it is!), some of it still gets printed to the console via standard error:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > bin-4.2/bin/gcc -v --help > /dev/null Using built-in specs. Target: i686-pc-linux-gnu Configured with: ../svn-source-4.2/configure --verbose --prefix=/home/brooks/bin-4.2 --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran : (reconfigured) ../svn-source-4.2/configure --verbose --prefix=/home/brooks/bin-4.2 --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran : (reconfigured) ../svn-source-4.2/configure --verbose --prefix=/home/brooks/bin-4.2 --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran : (reconfigured) ../svn-source-4.2/configure --verbose --prefix=/home/brooks/bin-4.2 --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran --no-create --no-recursion : (reconfigured) ../svn-source-4.2/configure --verbose --prefix=/home/brooks/bin-4.2 --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran --no-create --no-recursion : (reconfigured) ../svn-source-4.2/configure --verbose --prefix=/home/brooks/bin-4.2 --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran --no-create --no-recursion Thread model: posix gcc version 4.2.0 20070305 (prerelease) /home/brooks/bin-4.2/libexec/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.2.0/cc1 -quiet -v help-dummy -quiet -dumpbase help-dummy -mtune=generic -auxbase help-dummy -version --help -o /tmp/cccRY7zh.s as -V -Qy --help -o /tmp/ccQzyIru.o /tmp/cccRY7zh.s GNU assembler version 2.15 (i386-linux) using BFD version 2.15 /home/brooks/bin-4.2/libexec/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.2.0/collect2 --eh-frame-hdr -m elf_i386 -dynamic-linker /lib/ld-linux.so.2 --help /usr/lib/crt1.o /usr/lib/crti.o /home/brooks/bin-4.2/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.2.0/crtbegin.o -L/home/brooks/bin-4.2/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.2.0 -L/home/brooks/bin-4.2/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.2.0/../../.. /tmp/ccQzyIru.o -lgcc --as-needed -lgcc_s --no-as-needed -lc -lgcc --as-needed -lgcc_s --no-as-needed /home/brooks/bin-4.2/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.2.0/crtend.o /usr/lib/crtn.o ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FWIW, this error only seems to be present with the gcc -v --help output; the regular gcc --help output all goes into the file, as expected. -- Summary: gcc -v --help puts some output on std. out, and some on std. error. Product: gcc Version: 4.2.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: other AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: brooks at gcc dot gnu dot org GCC build triplet: i686-pc-linux-gnu GCC host triplet: i686-pc-linux-gnu GCC target triplet: i686-pc-linux-gnu http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=31350